


Antagonist | Komahina Fanfic

by Anonymous



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Angst, Blood, Character Death, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gay, I cant even write lol, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Violence, fluffy duffy wuffy uwu, i can't write three thousand words in one go ;w;, i'm a disgrace to the ao3 society, some gore I guess, why are people so good at writing-
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-06
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-01-05 11:30:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 26,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18365126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: He bowed to the brown-haired boy with much sincerity and with more respect the brunet never thought the villain of the story would ever have."At your service," the white-haired teenager spoke confidently with hints of amusement creeping along the edge of every word.The brunet stepped backward in shock, his back hitting the wall.What was he supposed to do now?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not an ao3 goddess, nor am I in high school yet, so I just wanted to say that I won't be able to live up to whatever your expectations are because I am that bad at writing.
> 
> Also, just to be sure, since I'm an amateur writer and I wrote this back in January, the line represents a change in perspective whereas the squiggly line is a short/long time skip. 
> 
>  
> 
> I hate my January writing goddammit.

"Excuse me?" A brown haired boy asked.

"Yes?" The customer service attendant replied with boredom.

"Does this bookstore have the new book in the 'H.O.P.E' series?" 

"Unfortunately, no. That book wasn't quite as popular as our other shipments, so we cut it off. Sorry."

She didn't look sorry at all.

The boy sighed. 

"Thank you anyway."

"You're welcome and have a nice day!" The attendant forcefully smiled.

"Yeah, you too," he mumbled back before leaving the store.

Cars roamed by on the road, emitting much noise. The chattering of the people on the sidewalks made his head hurt.

"Geez..." he whispered to himself as he started walking down the sidewalk.

Why can't I find the new book? Is the series that bad? He thought.

His eyebrows scrunched up together. He mindlessly weaved through the crowds to get home.

The sun was beginning to set. Rays of orange and yellow hues painted above the grassy field, lighting up the blades of grass. 

His head was dipped towards the ground, suddenly his mind went blank.

"Ouch!" His body collided with another person's. He fell back suddenly. 

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't see where I was going…” he said as he glanced up, but to find out there was nothing there. The boy took a glance of his surroundings, hoping to see some trace of the person he had bumped into, hopefully, to apologize. All he saw was a purple leathered book sitting on the cement. 

He stood up quickly.

"H-hey! You left your book...." he trailed off. The brown haired boy looked up and down, front and back, but the person was nowhere to be seen.

His eyes landed on the brand new book.

Well, I might as well keep it so when I find the person again I can give it back to them. He thought.

A sigh escaped his lips as he bent over to pick the book up.

It felt rough against his hands. He read the title.

"...Third book in the H.O.P.E saga..." he murmured quietly to himself. His eyes widened in disbelief.  
This is it! He thought. This is the new book I've been looking all over for! But it seems a little suspicious.....Hmmmmm…

He shook his head, clearing the thought away.

Well, it's getting dark now. Better head home quickly...

~

He sunk into the cushioned chair, the book in his hands. He carefully examined the book's front and back cover. Nothing suspicious.

With great caution, the sixteen-year-old boy opened the front cover. 

His name was scribbled onto the back of the cover in blue ink. Most likely with a fountain pen.

"To Hajime Hinata..." it wrote. "This book is now in your hands. Treat it well!"

No information about the person who had left it.

Hajime double checked the back cover once more, making sure that he did not miss any important details. 

There was only the blank back side of the book.

His eyes absorbed the words of the summary located on the back of the book.

"The thrilling H.O.P.E saga proudly presents its third book, 'Hope Never Stops'. In the H.O.P.E. series, the protagonist, Makoto Naegi, has watched his society blacken into despair by the hands of the Ultimate Despair. In order to overcome this despair, he brought hope to the people who were almost consumed by the sorrow of their losses and regrets. 

Due to this, he founded the foundation of the future and managed to gather the remaining people of the city to fight the Ultimate Despair. However, the Ultimate Despair had not shown themselves but had sent a servant, that replied to their beck and call, to put a stop to this madness. The third book in this series will create a roller coaster of feelings that will make your heart ache with sorrow, but at the same time, fill it with happiness. Prepare for the exciting climax of the war between Hope and Despair!"

Hajime had been a huge fan ever since the first book came out. But to his surprise, not many people liked it, and it was as if he was the only one who knew about it and actually enjoyed all its plot twists and characters.

His favorite, without doubt, was probably the protagonist, Makoto Naegi. Due to his optimism and luck, Hajime had been attached to this character from the very start. Oh, how he wished he had the talent Makoto had. Alas, this was fiction. Hajime sighed sadly, then chuckled at himself for being so stupid.  
His least favorite character, the one he wanted to kill most, was obvious. 

It was the Servant. His real name was not revealed, so everyone called him the Servant. Why does Hajime hate the Servant? Well, first of all, he killed Hajime's second-to-first favorite character, Chiaki Nanami, who was very optimistic and bright. She was practically a piece of hope herself. Everyone loved her. At least, that was until she was brutally killed by the Servant, who even had the guts to call her a "stepping stone for Hope". Now you may think that he supports Hope, but it's actually the other way around. I know, shocker. 

His motto is basically, "The more despair, the more Hope there will be to conquer that despair." By that point, Hajime just wanted to stab a knife through the Servant's chest. He's a psychotic albino who was on either side of Hope or Despair. He was just...there, tainted by despair if he wasn't affected enough with it already. 

Hajime sighed and flipped to the first page. Chapter 1.

The words blurred in front of him as he slowly nodded off to sleep.

~

The book's pages suddenly flipped as if a phantom wind had stirred it. A bright purple glow emitted from the words. The pages began to flip faster. And faster. And faster. Until it reached the end of the book. Then it slammed shut. A figure emerged from the chaos. The clanking of a chain could be heard.  
"Oh lookie here," a suave voice said. "Look what I got dragged into again." 

~

Hajime opened his drowsy eyes, rubbing them as he sat up.

Huh, I must have fallen asleep before I finished the first page. He laughed to himself.

Then, he noticed the figure on the ground.

"HOLY-!"Hajime screamed.

The figure stirred ever so slightly.

"Mhhh.." 

"What the-" Hajime backed up onto the wall.

The figure opened his eyes. They were the color of emeralds, but darker.

He turned his head towards Hajime.

Then he smiled. Not a gentle one, but an insane one.

He slowly got to his feet and bowed with much respect.

"I'm the servant. You are now my master. I shall obey your words."

"WHAT THE ACTUAL-"

Hajime stared at the albino from across the room. His appearances seemed so familiar... He just couldn't lay his finger on what it was.

But it all cleared up when the albino spoke up.

"My name is Servant."

Hajime's mouth hung open.

"You mean...The Servant???? The one who partnered with the Ultimate Despair????"

"Well yes. But I no longer work for her. As of now, you are my new master, as I have just said before."

"BUT YOU'RE FICTIONAL!"

The Servant titled his head to the side.

"I do not understand what fictional means."

Hajime's brain could not process what was currently happening, and thus his mouth opened and closed like a fish on land.

"Are you alright, Master?" 

Hajime closed his eyes. This must be some joke. 

Yeah, that's right. A cosplayer. A hardcore fan just like him.

"Alright, you cosplayer. Get out of my house now or I will call the cops."

The albino looked even more confused now.

"I am not a cosplayer. And it is also against my contract to leave your side. If I don't obey these rules, I will end up losing my life. Not that I care. Trash like me shouldn't be alive after all. Such bad luck has dragged me to this place. Aha...AHaHaHa!"

His laugh was insane. Just like the real Servant.

Just then, Hajime noticed that his sweaty palm was holding onto a piece of paper. Curious, he opened it.

"This is real."

Is all it said.

Heck?! Who the heck is playing with me right now!! His mind screamed inaudibly. 

His eyebrows scrunched up again.

"If you're really the real thing, tell me your real name."

He laughed yet again.

"Ah, you see. I would love to tell you. Anything for my master. But it is forbidden to tell you my full name. Just call me Servant, due to the fact that I am still trash and trash like me shouldn't even have a name. I'm such a disgrace to society."

"Well then...Tell me who sent you."

"That is also confidential. But I can tell you this. I walked through a portal and got here."

Hajime had chosen to believe him now. Just out of instinct, a nagging part of his brain insisted that it was real, that the Servant was real. He chose to believe it.

"Well then. I'll call you Antagonist."

His eyes glistened with dramatic tears.

"Master gave me a name! Trash like me doesn't deserve this!"

Hajime's eye twitched.

"First of all, stop calling me Master, call me Hajime, or Hinata, whichever. Second of all, stop calling yourself trash." He ordered.

Antagonist gracefully bowed at Hajime.

"Of course, Ma- Hinata-kun."

~

"Why'd I have to get stuck with the bad guy?" he sighed.

Antagonist had heard. 

"The...bad guy?" he questioned.

"Yeah. You're the one causing despair everywhere and you even killed my second favorite character!"

"Character?"

"Oh right. I forgot. You're a character in a book series, which is fictional. That means you are not supposed to be here. And you killed Chiaki Nanami."

"Chiaki Nanami...Such a tragic death if I do say so myself. Such despair.."

"So all of those events were real in your world?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Nothing. Why were you sent here anyway?"

Antagonist pointed to the purple leathered book.

"That book is extremely important. You're the one who will protect it. I will be the one protecting the protector of the book." He giggled at the last sentence.

"Why is it so important though? Why me?"

Antagonist sighed. "That I cannot answer either. But you'll figure out in time."

Hajime's mind only became even more confused.

"Anyway..." Antagonist started. He pulled a small dagger out of his coat jacket. The blade met flesh and ruby red blood came gushing out onto Antagonist's palm. 

"To seal the contract, you must drink my blood."

"The wha-, what? Why?"

"So I can sense whenever you're in danger and come to save you." he grinned.

"Uh, no thanks..."

Antagonist's grin faded.

"You have to. Or else."

"Or else wha-"

The window shattered with an ear-splitting boom.

"They're here," mumbled Antagonist. He silently cursed under his breath.

"Hurry up and drink it," he commanded.

"Hey! I thought I was the one allowed to make the orders." Hajime yelled.

"Not unless you die. I can't protect you from those people if I don't seal the contract with you using this blood oath. Therefore I cannot use my abilities to shield you from harm's way. Believe me, this isn't the  
first time I've done this either."

"What?"

Antagonist muttered something about someone being stupid. Something about an Arthur? 

What?

The footsteps were approaching more rapidly now. 

With much hesitation, Hajime took Antagonist's hand and drank.

_____________________________________

Antagonist was smirking like a psycho as Hajime sealed the blood oath. Now, he could protect this boy. Honestly though, why would He have sent him here again? He must be bored. Antagonist let out a sigh.

His senses suddenly sharpened, and his reflexes were activated. The collar and chain around his neck grew warm, turning red with a brown hue, indicating that the oath was sealed.

"You know, even if my blood does taste that good, don't drink it all." He laughed.

"O-oh. Uhm...Sorry," Hajime mumbled. 

The footsteps were approaching far more quickly than Antagonist had expected. 

He quickly drew a knife out of one of his pockets and locked the living room doors.

The doorknob rattled, indicating that the person, or people, were trying to get in.  
Hajime opened his mouth, ready to speak. But before he could do so, Antagonist covered his mouth with one hand and placed his index finger to his own lips. 

"Shhh..." he silently warned.

He gestured to the book, nudging Hajime to go retrieve it. 

They grew impatient. The rattling of the doorknob stopped.

Everything was silent.

A crash broke the silence as the door came falling down.

Antagonist titled his head and chuckled. The albino chucked the knife at the nearest window, shattering the delicate material. He ran towards Hajime, who was now holding the book tightly and picked him up  
bridal style.

He turned his head towards the cloaked figures.

"Ciao," he smirked.

Jumping through the window with a terrified Hajime in his arms, he landed gracefully on the blades of grass outside.

Then, he ran like a madman.

 

~

 

Antagonist could easily tell that Hajime was drenched with fear. His eyes were closed tightly and he was hugging onto the book. In addition to that, the oath had made him linked to Hajime's emotions.

Pathetic humans. Antagonist thought to himself in exasperation.

The scenery was blurred around him. Running was only one of his skills.

Unlike Hajime, he wasn't fully human. He was fictional. And fictional people have many of the impossible. Antagonist was one of those people. 

He jumped into a nearby manhole, falling into the darkness. He had used this place many times. 

"You can open your eyes now," he giggled.

Hajime's olive eyes opened ever so slightly.

"Where am I?"

"That's a secret too!" He stuck his tongue out.

Just then, he realized that Antagonist was holding him.

"GAH!" he rolled off Antagonist's arms.

He landed on the cold floor with a thump.

Since he (Antagonist) and Hajime were linked, a surge of pain shot through Antagonist's body. The white-haired boy flinched.

"Sooooo....." Hajime spoke. "What now? Where am I? Who were those people? What were they there for?"

The albino rubbed the back of his head.

"Geez... You talk so much. Maybe I'll have to seal that mouth of yours too," he chuckled.

That only fueled Hajime's anger even more.

"Well then... that leaves me no choice. Maybe I'll experiment it this one time." Hajime mused.

Antagonist looked at Hajime with a blank face.

"Try what?"

"Antagonist. I order you to tell me what the hell is happening."

Antagonist froze. The collar warmed up yet again. His mind started functioning on its own.

Words poured out of his mouth.

"Those people were after the book, which you are linked to through mind and body. I cannot touch that book, though it is really important, you're the one who can do that. I am to protect the book, which means you too. People will come out of nowhere and ambush you, to try to steal the book for themselves." He finished.

Oh well. He was screwed. This blood oath was such a pain. Why was it even there in the first place? He never asked to be the bodyguard of this hopeless brown haired idiot. Well, he never had the choice anyway. It was all Him. 

Antagonist turned around to face a large heavy metal door, locked by a code. 

He punched in the numbers to the password.

"1-1-0-3-7"

Click. The door creaked open, revealing a room. 

He stepped inside.

"Are you coming or not?"

"I need more information before I can go inside. I can't just trust anyone anymore. What if you were after the book too? Even though you're a character from the book, it doesn't mean that you aren't also after the book. I mean, that's kinda like a plot twist right? That's what happens in the story. The protagonist is actually the antagonist. So what if- Mphf!"

Antagonist had leaned over to seal his lips with his own. Just to shut him up. 

His lips are warm. Hajime blissfully thought to himself.

Hajime pulled away, flustered. His face was a dark shade of red.

"Wha-?"

"Did you like my gift? Honestly, it was only to shut you up since I can't put duct tape on your face. You asked too many questions... So it was your doing." He laughed.

Hajime wiped his mouth. 

"You're so disgusting."

"Thanks. I'll take that as a compliment," he winked.

He turned around, his coat flying out behind him and walked into the room, leaving Hajime behind. But he knew he couldn't be away from him from a long distance. Literally. It was one of the contract rules.

The albino gingerly touched his lips.

He also knew the consequences of kissing the person he had to protect.

But... he had to do it.

He wasn't going to let what happened last time happen again this time.

This time would be different.

He would protect this boy. Even if it would cost him his life. Besides, it would be interesting to see what he would do next...


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WhoA 107 hiTs in 24 hrs????
> 
> owo

Antagonist turned around and walked into the room. Hajime's face was heating up. The tips of his ears were warm, too.

Wha- Why???? He internally screamed to himself.

His fingers brushed his lips, where seconds ago Antagonist had sealed them with his own. But, there was something else. Not the fact that it was his first kiss, but something more. There was a change in himself. Even though he couldn't see it, he could feel it. A warm, yet cold, presence now lurked inside of him. Antagonist was leaning against the door, playing with his nails. 

"Well? Are you going to come in now?"

Hajime sighed. Having no other choice, he entered the brightly lit room where Antagonist was located in.

"Hey, Antagonist."

The albino looked at Hajime.

"Yes?"

"Where exactly are we?"

Antagonist chuckled. 

"This is my temporary house."

"But... aren't you fictional?"

"That's a long story..... I am forbidden to tell you it, and you can't even command me to do it. That's the good part." He grinned.

By now, Hajime's mind was full of questions and his curiosity was getting the best of him. But fear quickly took the place of that curiosity. He did not want to get kissed again, especially by this stranger that he HAD to trust. Antagonist sighed at the look on Hajime's face.

"Well, I could tell you a bit...."

Hajime was stunned. What a change in character. Maybe he could use this to his advantage.

"Heh, is it because you pity me? Do you pity me for getting dragged into this situation? A situation in where a freaking fictional psycho pops out of nowhere and becomes bound to me?" He laughed. This was getting too ridiculous.

Antagonist's eyes quickly slid away from Hajime's face, as if he were embarrassed.

Jackpot. Hajime laughed.

"Well, sort of..." Antagonist said while still playing with his nails.

Huh? Is this guy for real?

"So do you want information or no. I could always back out. My generosity has a limit too you know."

"Y-yes."  
Antagonist sunk into a wooden chair, motioning to Hajime that he should do the same.

"Well you see, I am sworn to protect you with the blood oath. This means that you can order me to do things. But those things are limited. I can do physical actions, but I cannot leak any private information to you. Oh and also, I have rules to abide by, too. One. I cannot leave your side, no matter what. However, you can order me to leave... If you truly want to die. Second, I cannot let anything harm you. If I do, I will also feel that pain. Third, I can sense whenever you're in danger due to the fact that I can feel your emotions too."

"W-wait! Does that mean....?"

Antagonist smirked. 

"I sensed everything~"

Smoke came out of Hajime's ears.

Antagonist laughed.

"That's basically it."

"I have only one question."

"Go on. Anything for you."

"..."

"What is it?"

"What's your real name? I mean, I know you can't give me your real name, but at least give me a nickname. I'm tired of calling you Antagonist. It doesn't really fit you."  
"Now who's playing who, huh?" Antagonist chuckled.

"Just tell me."

"Yeesh. No need to be so demanding."

"..."

"Call me Ko. If you must."

Ko... What kind of nickname is that?

"Is that from your last name or first name?"

Ko laughed at Hajime's reply.

"Don't peek into my personal information. I have things I don't want to tell you about, you know?"

"But-"

"No more questions. Go on, take a shower. You must be tired after your exciting little adventure. I'll be right here when you come out. I already got some new clothes for you too, so don't worry."

"What the heck? Are you a stalker or something???"

"Let's just say... I have my ways." He winked.

There's seriously something wrong with this guy. He gulped.

~

And he was still there

He seriously kept his word, huh. The white-haired boy was wearing a loose black v-neck t-shirt and baggy pants. Must have changed his attire. He was positioned in front of the T.V. screen as if he were thinking about other things than actually focusing on the news.

"Ko..?"

No response.

"Hey, Ko?" He repeated.

Again, no response.

Hajime decided to confront him.

"Heyyyy Koooooo."

Ko was sleeping.

His eyes were shut and his head was propped up by his hand. How can he look so peaceful at times like this? Hajime questioned himself. But like this, Ko didn't look like a villain at all. He just looked like an ordinary teenage boy. Hajime glanced at the clock on the wall beside him.

11 P.M., huh... I better go to sleep too... 

He noticed that the temperature had dropped. Fearing that Ko would catch a cold like this, with only short sleeves on, he grabbed a blanket and placed it over Ko's body.

"Hmmmmm..." the albino mumbled in his sleep.

Hajime walked away without a glance over his shoulder. He flipped the switch for the lights and rolled onto the white sheets of the futon. Why was he feeling sympathy over a random character that happened to come to life? He hated him before. He was insane, psychotic, and also a murderer. Then...why? Why did he harbor such feelings for the albino? Just... why? He wanted answers, not questions. But all of those began to fade away as his eyelids drooped and he succumbed to sleep.

_________________________________________________________________

The morning rays of sunshine hit Ko's face, and unfortunately, directly on his eyelids too.

"Hnrrhh.... What time is it..?" he mumbled, still groggy from sleep. 

Then he realized.

"I FELL ASLEEP!"

He mentally slapped himself for being so irresponsible. But where was Hajime? His eyes darted across the room in a panic. Was he taken? There were no signs of any resistance against the kidnapping. His senses told him that Hajime had a calm emotion right now, and he felt no pain.  
Brown hair poked out from behind the bathroom door.

"Good morning," he managed to say between the toothpaste foam.

Ko's heartbeat slowed down, now that he knew Hajime was safe.

But why did he care? Sure he needed to protect him because he didn't want to lose another one of the people he had to protect, but what was this other feeling?  
He just couldn't lay a finger on it.

"You know," Hajime said suddenly, already rinsing the toothpaste out of his mouth. "I think we should find the author of the book and give it back to them."  
Ko felt a pang in his chest.

"Why?"

"Well, you want nothing to do with me, and I want nothing to do with you. I just want to live a normal life. So why not return the book?"  
Ko sighed.

"I would have done that sooner, but I can't touch the book. You're the only one who can open it. But if you open it, something bad will happen and boom. Also, the author hates to be seen."

"Then let's track him down. You are his character after all."

Ko played with his chain that hung from the collar.

"Ehm... Well...."

"Well? What?"

"It's more difficult than that..."

He picked at his nails, not wanting to meet Hajime's gaze. 

Hajime walked over to Ko. He lunged out and grabbed the chain, causing Ko to lean forward to meet Hajime's face.

"I order you to show me to the place where the author lives."

The collar heated up.

The exact location of where he lived showed up in Ko's mind.

"My, my, aren't you a demanding one." He smirked. "You'd make a great tyrant someday, you know?"

His eyes glimmered with mischief.

Hajime's physical appearance didn't show it, but Ko could feel the embarrassment that was bubbling inside of Hajime. One of the perks of being a bodyguard, I guess. He smiled to himself.

He was starting to enjoy this.

~

The sidewalks were bustling with people, either talking on their phones or texting. Many people rushed by the pair, not giving even a glance at them. The roads roared with cars that were honking and beeping at one another. What a traffic jam.

Ko eagerly took in his surroundings, making up an excuse that he was looking for any possible sign of danger.

But you can't blame him. He hadn't gone to the human world for such a long time. A lot of things had evolved. 

"Hey Ko." Hajime spoke up.

"Hm?"

"Why does your personality change so much?"

"I'm bipolar."

"Oh."

"But the personality when I first met you was a side effect."

"A side effect?"

"Mhm. That was my character personality."

"But I thought that your character personality would be your personality in real life."

"Oh, you poor simple-minded Hajime. The author makes up our personality, yes, and he also controls our lives. But... when we're in the real world, we change. We get to have our own feelings, our own lives. Lives in which even the author can't control."

"Then how did you get here in the first place?"

"That's a secret~. That is.... if you believe in magic." Ko purred.

Hajime sputtered. "Magic??? Those are only in fairytales!"

Ko chuckled. 

"Believe in whatever you want."

They neared an emptier street. There were less and fewer people. Until... silence.

"You sure it's here, Ko?"

Ko placed his hand on Hajime's mouth.

"Sshhhh~."

Two cloaked figures appeared out of nowhere and started advancing towards the two males.

Ko took Hajime's tie and used it as a blindfold.

"Close your eyes. Whatever you do, don't open them until I say so."

Hajime couldn't object, so he obeyed. Ko swiftly slid out two daggers, his signature weapon, then threw them at the figures. They simply dodged out of the way.

"I see... So that's how it's gonna be, hm..." he told himself. 

He summoned small darts in between his fingers, accurately shooting them at the cloaked figures. They dodged yet again. It looked as if they were in no hurry for they were only walking, not running, to the pair.

"No?" Ko mused to himself. "Well then..."

He took out two guns. Gunshots pierced the empty silence, filling the air. If he could, Ko could just run towards them and slash open their necks. However, there was the case of Hajime and the fact that he couldn't leave his side. This was annoying him. He could just end their pesky little lives right now. The only thing holding him back was that rule. He couldn't risk the scenario in which he hid Hajime behind his back while he fought. That would be even riskier. He clenched his teeth. Stupid rules. A sudden pain rushed to his throat. Oh, heck no. He had forgotten about what would happen if there were to be another one of them. Truly he was so careless.

"Don't move. Or I'll slice his throat open."

_______________________________________________

 

The blade felt cold against his throat. Even though he was blindfolded, he could tell that he was taken captive since there were restraints on his wrists, which were held behind his back. There was a shuffling of feet. Ko must have turned around halfway.

"Don't move or I'll slit his throat."

The blade pushed into his skin, drawing blood. Warm blood trickled down his neck. He gulped.

Stay calm. Stay calm. Stay calm. He repeated to himself.

However, he was sure that his attempts to calm himself were a failure since he was pretty sure that Ko could feel the tiny little pang of fear in his heart.  
Ko couldn't let Hajime die now, could he? But if he were to die, then Ko could go live his life again. Hajime was just a burden to everyone once again. He could never make any ones' life easier, only harder. Ko should just give up on him right now. The guilt was heavy in his chest. Why couldn't he just die? A light breeze brushed past his face, and before his mind could process what had just happened, his wrists were released. In its place were smooth, warm ones.

"Move when I move. Walk when I walk. Run when I run." A smooth voice whispered into his ear. Ko. Hajime almost sagged with relief.

He heard the cocking of a gun, then several gunshots, The footsteps were approaching rapidly now. The figures were probably running. Sprinting.   
More gunshots. A heavy thump.

"Ngh!" Ko grunted.

What happened? Did Ko get injured? He couldn't take it anymore. Hajime had to see what was going on. He ripped off his makeshift blindfold and stared at the scene that lay before him.

Blood. 

Lots and lots of blood. Blood lined the cobblestones. Two bodies. Blade against blade. Gunshots.

His eyes shot to Ko. His face was contorted into pain. He was gripping his right shoulder but could manage to hold the gun steadily in his right hand.  
Blood seeped through Ko's hand. He indeed was injured. Hajime couldn't clearly see what was happening. Both people were to fast. They were so agile and quick, their actions were blurred. Ko's head quickly turned over his shoulder, glancing at Hajime. His eyebrows scrunched up together.

"YOU IDIOT! DID I NOT TELL YOU TO NOT TAKE OFF YOUR BLINDFOLD?!"

Before Hajime could reply, a presence appeared behind him. He couldn't move fast enough. He didn't have the right reflexes. A gunshot rang throughout the street. It penetrated the figure's head, but not before it could stab their knife into Ko's abdomen.

"GAH!" Ko spit out blood.

He collapsed on his back, clutching his stomach in pain. Red splotched appeared on his white shirt, blossoming across the fabric.

"You saved me..." Hajime whispered breathlessly.

"It... was... only... my duty...." Ko managed to say between uneven breaths.

"Why? Why did you save me?"

"..."

"You got yourself injured! Just because of me! I'm only a burden! You should have just let them kill me instead!" Hajime yelled.

"Hey... why are.... you... crying?"

Hajime hadn't noticed the hot tears that were streaming down his face. He quickly wiped it away with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Are.. you worried... about trash... like me...? Heh..." He laughed.

A fit of coughing and hacking seized his body.

"H-hey! Hold on! I need to get help!"

He used his tie to stop the bleeding of the wound on Ko's torso.

"I'm glad... I could... save you...." Ko's eyes fluttered shut.

"W-wait! Don't leave me all alone!"

His eyes caught the slightest movement of Ko's stomach. Oh, thank god he's still alive. Relief washed over his thoughts. After a minute or two of calling for help, Hajime was sure that no one would appear to aid Ko. He decided to take the matter into his own hands. Locating a nearby drugstore, he carried Ko over and laid him on a table. 

"Where are those stitches when you need them?" He mumbled to himself. 

"Aha!"

He collected the various items needed to help heal his friend: alcohol to clean the wound, gauze for bandages, ointment for the wound, and stitches to seal up the wound.  
Hajime could see the pain on Ko's face as he began stitching up the wound on his torso. Besides that major wound, Ko also had a gash on his right shoulder as well as a minor cut on his cheek. Hajime hated to watch Ko suffer, but the drugstore had no anesthetics, so he would have to deal with the pain for a while.  
He was just about finished when the rain started in the evening. Its comforting presence took away the fears in Hajime's mind.

"There we go. All done." He spoke to himself. 

His olive eyes landed on Ko's face. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. His eyes trailed to his lips. Those lips that had been connected to his not long ago. If he could experience them one more time...

If he could just.....

No.

He shook his head. What was going on with him these days? He was being stupid and ridiculous.

The rain was creating a soothing pattern on the rooftop, lulling Hajime into a drowsy state.

Plitter platter. Plitter platter. Plitter platter. Plitter platter.

His brown locks rested on top of Ko's arm as Hajime placed his head on top of the table. The rain washed away the thoughts that lurked within his mind. With the steady rhythm of the gentle rain that coursed through his ears, Hajime started closing his eyes and fell into a deep slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so like, I published this story on another site, and I only wrote 1k words for each chapter. So when I came here, I combined three chapters into one (because I can). That's why the perspectives keep changing at the most random times. My sincerest apologies.

_"I will do everything in my power to protect you..." he bowed._

_"Hey, look! I got engaged! Look at my ring! It's beautiful!"_

_The crystal at the middle of the lovely metal band shined brightly, twinkling in the sunlight. Its rays flashed a beautiful rainbow color._

_"Meet my son...."_

_A boy with rosy cheeks sat in the arms of a gentle-faced mother. Her smile was radiating off the hospital walls._

_"You want to hold him?"_

_The baby was light, his face filled with fat._

_________________________________________

_Rain. Blood. Tears._

_He couldn't save her..._

_It was all his fault..._

_"Hey.... don't look so sad. Smile!"_

_"Just promise me this...... please look after my son.... for.... me...."_

_Her hand went limp._

_He had failed._

_He was a failure._

_Despair._

_Despair._

_Despair._

_Hopeless._

_Empty._

_He didn't deserve to live anymore._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The albino's eyelids opened up, revealing two green orbs that stared at the ceiling.

Huh. What an unfamiliar ceiling. Where was he again? His right shoulder felt heavier than usual as if something were weighing it down. His gaze flitted over to that part of his body. White bands overlapped each other to cover his shoulder wound. The pain was still there, but now it was only a throbbing ache, not a blinding pain. He started to take in his surroundings. This wasn't a hospital. If it wasn't a hospital, then where was he?

A ticklish feeling on his left arm broke his thoughts momentarily. Brown locks of hair were draped over the middle of his arm. Well, well, isn't it a sleeping Hajime. Wait. Does that mean that he fixed me up all by himself? Without any proper assistance? Ko wondered.

He chuckled slightly. But it would be nice to touch his hair just once... It won't hurt to do so, right? His fingers grazed over the brown hair. Surprisingly enough, it was soft, unlike its physical appearance. He softly caressed the brunet's hair, enjoying the texture. As he tried to sit up, a wave of pain waved over his abdomen. He gasped and immediately lay back down.

"You shouldn't be sitting up so fast. You're still healing. And why are your fingers in my hair?" A voice spoke.

He froze. Shoot.

"There was something in it." was his excuse.

Hajime's eyes narrowed. 

"Says the one who was playing with it for five minutes. I was conscious when you woke up, you know."

Whoops. Busted.

Ko's fingers quickly retreated from the depths of Hajime's soft hair.

"Hey. Did you do all this?" He changed the topic.

"Well yeah. What do you expect? There was no one near to help me and you were dying. So I decided to take matters into my own hands."

Ko was surprised. He actually cared for trash like himself? 

"How'd you learn how to do stitches?"

Hajime fell silent.

His olive eyes dropped down to his shoes as if it were suddenly more interesting than the albino.

"....You have your own personal information, and so do I." He replied.

Ko was disappointed. But it was true that he couldn't pry into the brunet's personal life. That would be an invasion of privacy.

Silence. The tension in the air was heavy. Ko decided to break the awkward stillness that blanketed the room.

"Hey. You aren't hurt anywhere right?" he asked cautiously.

"No...."

Aha. That was a lie.

"Show me it. I know you're lying."

"N-no I'm not! B-besides, you're the one who's injured! You should be worrying over yourself, not me!"

In a quick motion, Ko grabbed Hajime's wrists. There was an ugly shade of purple against his tan skin on both arms. Ko's eyes hardened. That son of a sponge dared touch the person under his protection?! He was as good as dead. Oh, wait. Ko forgot that he had killed all the figures during the ambush. Gently, Ko lifted Hajime's right wrist to his pale lips and kissed the bruise. A rush of embarrassment flooded his senses. However, they weren't his, but Hajime's. Oh, how Ko loved teasing Hajime like this. If he could do it every day and see that blush every time...

The corner of Ko's lips turned upwards into a smirk. This was just so amusing. His lips parted from the skin as he moved on to the boy's left wrist. He repeated the action again. Hajime's mouth moved in circles, trying to form words but horribly failing. His face was covered in a dark shade of red while steam was pouring out of his ears. Ko just grinned at the brunet slyly, internally laughing at what his teasing had done to the poor boy.

"Wha-? Wh-why did you do that?!?!?!" Hajime stuttered through his embarrassment.

"That was my second gift. Did you like it?" 

"Hwa? Wha? Huh??"

"Someone told me that the best way to cure wounds is to kiss them. Then they'll feel all better in no time! However, sadly, you cannot do the same thing to my wounds for there are bandages, and that would ruin the fun. Such a pity." Ko slyly spoke.

His eyes glimmered with amusement.

"It's not like I would do the same!" Hajime countered.

"Stop acting like a giiiirl. You gotta man up."

"HUH?"

~

Ko's wounds were closing up perfectly, just as he expected. He was still half-fictional, which meant that he could heal faster than normal humans. He inspected the wound on his torso one last time, just to make sure it wouldn't open anytime soon. 

"Hinata-kun, we're going back to my temporary house. Just for now." Ko decided.

"Huh? Why?"

"Because it's the safest. Also, the author moved places again, and this time it's even harder to find them."

"But we're so close! Why can't-" Hajime was cut off abruptly.

"It's for your own safety. What happened yesterday is exactly the reason why we need to go back. I can't risk your life in such a manner again!" Ko yelled furiously.

Hajime was frozen in fear. It was in fear of Ko's new personality.

Ko sagged his shoulders and sighed. This boy was hopeless. Chasing after things that he can't even obtain single-handedly. There was nothing Ko could do to stop him. His life and his actions were now in Hajime's hands. He could practically do whatever he wanted with Ko. The albino was merely a tool for the brunet to use in this situation. However, to Ko's amazement, Hajime agreed.

"Well, I guess we could go back and think of a plan first...." the brown haired boy mumbled. His eyes were still glued to the ground.

What was this feeling that was present in Hajime's mind right now? Guilt? No... it wasn't exactly guilt. It was more of a... mixture of emotions. Ko just couldn't seem to figure out this guy. He couldn't understand him properly. If Ko couldn't understand him, he couldn't protect the brunet from harm. That was a big problem.

What exactly are you feeling right now... Hajime Hinata...?

_________________________________________________________

The air was heavy outside, due to the air that had just let up a few hours ago. The streets were soaked with rain, turning the concrete into a darker color. Although Hajime had told Ko over and over again not to push himself to stand up, the albino did not heed his words. 

"See? I'm fine. Stop fussing over me. Besides, it should be the other way around." Ko spoke over his shoulder.

"But-" Hajime started.

Ko waved his index finger side to side in a "nuh uh" gesture.

As they walked down the sidewalk back to the house, Hajime could see that Ko was wincing every time he took a step forward, despite his attempts to hide it.

He sighed.  
~

The book was exactly where they had left it yesterday morning. Amid all the chaos, they had forgotten all about it. 

"Hey Ko," Hajime suddenly asked. 

"Yeah?" the psycho replied, still taking off his shoes.

"Can I... open the book?"

Ko stumbled forward in surprise.

"NO! Don't ever open the book unless you HAVE to."

"Then can anyone else open it for me?"

"No. You're bound to this book, which means that only you can open it. Anyone else, except me, can touch the book but are not able to open the book. The only way they could ever possibly open the book is if they break the bond between you and it, which by breaking means killing you."

Hajime raised an eyebrow.

"Well. That's complicated."

His thoughts ran all over the place. His curiosity wanted him to open the purple leather covers, but at the same time, a huge warning symbol blared in his brain.  
Maybe it would just be better if he didn't think about it at all.

A large thump occurred behind him.

"Wha-?"

Ko had collapsed onto the wooden floor, breathing heavily.

"Oh no." He said nonchalantly. "It seems that my wound has opened up again...." 

As if on cue, a dark red stain began forming on Ko's jacket, indicating that it had bled through both his shirt and coat. 

"Eh? Hinata-kun, what are you doing?"

The brunet picked up Ko bridal style. His gaze shifted to anything but Ko's face.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm carrying you."

He walked over to the bed and placed Ko gently down.

"How can you possibly care for trash like me?" Ko stated.

"..... Don't call yourself trash. Do I need to repeat it again? Never call yourself trash. Ever. Again."

A smile made its way onto Ko's lips.

"Awww~ Hinata-kun cares about me~" 

"S-shut up!"

Stay cool. Stay cool. He repeated over and over again.

If he were to express or even feel embarrassment right now, Ko would tease him to death. Screw the stupid oath. He fumed inwardly. Hajime traveled over to the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit from the top shelf of the bathroom cabinet. 

"Hey Ko, I'm going to fix your wound up ok?"

A soft snore escaped Ko's lips.

Oh, so he was asleep already. That made Hajime's job much easier. The blood had soaked the bandages underneath the shirt, staining the white cloth red. He quickly unwrapped them and observed the wound. Ah. The stitches had come undone. But that wasn't the worst problem in his hands right now. The biggest problem was that... there were no stitches in the house. The bleeding didn't seem to stop either. What was he supposed to do? Ko couldn't leave his side, but he needed to buy stitches...  
Then it came to him.

What if...

He had to try it, to save Ko. He looked directly at the face of the sleeping albino. It was worth a shot.

"Ko. I order you to stay here until I get back."

The collar around the pale boy's neck grew a vibrant red, then faded back to a dull color. 

It must have worked, for when even after Hajime finished placing pressure on the wound by strapping a towel on top of Ko's torso to try and stop the bleeding and stepped outside of the door, Ko was still on the bed.

_Phew..._

~

"Urgh. That lady near the counter just ticked me off!" Hajime irritably spoke to himself.

"She even had the guts to flirt with me!" He punched in the number to the door. "I said no, but she still tried to seduce me! AGh! Pesky women."

He blabbered on. 

"Geez..."

He immediately got to work. one stitch at a time, until the injury closed up. His mind was in a crisis. The injury opening up again had been the final straw. Hajime didn't want to see blood again. More importantly, he couldn't bear to see the people around him suffer anymore. It was time he learned how to defend himself. He wanted to stop being a burden to others. He didn't want to reply and depend on others. That's why he was going to learn how to fight or at least self-defense. He was pretty certain that he had seen a computer in one of the rooms before...

Aha. 

A computer lay before him. It was now or never. He pressed the power button. The screen displayed the following words: Monosoft is waking up... A tiny circle appeared on the screen. When the computer finished booting up, the first thing Hajime searched up was how to defend himself. The basics and the foundation of fighting.

"So you go like this and.... this?" He attempted to practice.

He lacked the necessary muscles to actually inflict much damage, so he guessed he could carry a weapon wherever he went. A soft voice at the door flowed to his ears.

"Hinata-kun? What are you doing?"

The brunet froze in place. Ah, frick.  
________________________________________________

"Uhm... Nothing?"

Ko narrowed his eyes.

"Uhehe... By the way, how were you able to get up?"

The albino lowered his voice into a threatening tone.

"Hinata-kun. What. Were. You. Doing?"

Hajime backed up slowly, the floorboards creaking under him. As he did so, Ko advanced towards the brunet, arms crossed and with a stern face.

"Buh- I just, just uh- You know- Uhm..." Hajime stuttered, trying to create a proper excuse for what he was doing. His back hit the wall. Ko inwardly smiled. Maybe he could take advantage of this situation. He slammed the palms of his hands on both sides of Hajime's head. It was a good thing that he was one centimeter taller than the brunet, too. He placed his knee in between the other's legs, officially pinning him to the wall. 

He smirked to himself. Oh, how fun this would be. 

"What the heck are you doing?????" Hajime fired at the albino.

"Tell me what you were doing...." Ko said.

He tilted his head to where Hajime's ear was, his lips almost brushing against the skin. 

"...Or you will regret it."

Ko stared into the olive eyes of Hajime's face. He felt fear, Hajime's fear. Oh, how he loved it. maybe he was sadistic after all. Oh well, it's not like anyone would care about that. After all, he was trash.

"F-fine! I was learning..... how to fight...." the brunet mumbled. His face was dipped towards the ground, obviously showing embarrassment.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about you know?" Ko stepped away from Hajime and leaned against the wall, a foot placed on it. He slipped his hands into his pockets. "You could have asked me to teach you. I wouldn't mind. There isn't really anything wrong with learning how to fight."

This shocked Hajime, his eyes widening in a slight fraction. 

"So... you'll teach me? Just like that?" he asked hesitantly, thinking over the fact that this may be another one of Ko's tricks.

"Of course I will! After all, I am your servant. You can tell me to do anything." He stopped. "But. I do want to know one thing. What's your motive?"

Hajime stared back at Ko with a questioned expression plastered on his face. "My motive?" He gulped.

"Your motive, or in this case, why you would want to learn to fight."

"I don't have to tell you anything I don't want to tell!" Hajime shot back.

Dayum. This kid had so many rebuttals. 

"That's fine with me," Ko shrugged and began walking out into the hallway. "It's also my choice whether or not I want to teach you how to fight or not." The psycho was halfway out the door frame when Hajime stopped him.

"It's because I don't want to be a burden to others again," he whispered.

"A burden?"

"I have no talent. I can't do anything that would impact anybody else's life. I'm.....useless."

Immense sorrow washed over Ko's blank canvas of emotions. He frowned but continued walking, pausing in the corridor and opening his mouth to speak. 

"So. You going to come or not?"

~

"No, no, no, no. You're doing it all wrong."

Hajime groaned. 

"You're supposed to do it like this."

Ko readied into a fighting stance. He turned his side to the left and shifted his foot 45 degrees to the left. He then raised right leg sideways and kicked straight up. "Now THAT'S how you do a sidekick. What you're doing right now is a roundhouse kick, which is fairly easy and can be messed up with the sidekick. Do it again."

Who knew teaching someone how to fight was this amusing. He laughed inside. 

Suddenly, his pocket began to vibrate. It seemed like he forgot that he had stolen Hajime's phone.

"Hey, isn't that mine?"

Ko looked up. "Huh? Oh yeah. I took it when we jumped out of the window. I thought it might come in handy."

"Well? What are you doing? Give it to me."

Ko handed over the small phone to the brunet.

"Hello?" Hajime answered.

A loud voice from the other end of the voice answered him in a speedy, yet loud, tone. 

"Hey! Slow down! I can't hear anything you just said!"

Ko cocked his head to the side. Who was he talking to? Wait. Why did he care? Hmmm. Hajime's mouth opened and his eyes turned to the size of plates.

"OH SH-! I'M SO SORRY! I FORGOT! I'LL RUN OVER RIGHT NOW! SO IT'S ONLY THOSE THINGS RIGHT?!" 

What even?

"OK. I'LL BE THERE IN 10. I'M SOOOOO SORRRYYYYYY!" He apologized over and over again. The call ended when he shut his phone.

"I'm such an idiot...." he spoke to himself.

Noticing Ko's confused look, he explained himself.

"I need to do a favor for a friend, which I promised a long time ago. It must have slipped my mind." He sighed at himself, probably over the fact that he was so irresponsible.

"So what do I have to do?" Ko asked.

"Well... for starters, you need to accompany me to the mall. I need to pick up a few things for my friend. Oh also, how far can you be from me?"

Ko thought about this for a while. "Well, I can be apart from you when we're in the same building. But if not, a five-meter radius would be the limit."

The brown haired boy beamed. "Great! Then get ready to go to the mall! Sorry for dragging you into this all of a sudden."

Ko shook his head. "No. It's fine, remember? I'm your servant. You command me."

Hajime turned around.

"Stop calling yourself my servant. Geez... it's like you're downgrading yourself from a mere human to something even worse. It annoys me."

It annoyed him? What part about it annoyed him? The fact that he kept calling himself trash? Or the fact that Hajime wanted Ko to be at the same status level as him? 

He still couldn't figure the brunet out.

It'll take some more time…


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This writing is just... ew.

He was such an irresponsible person. How could he forget to get the items for his friend? Yeesh.

Ko's chain and collar clanked behind him as they roamed through the crowded mall. 

"Ah! Here it is!" Hajime entered the music store.

Pianos, guitars, and drums, as well as many other instruments, lay organized in the store. Slow music drifted through the air, tempting people to sleep. 

Hajime looked through his list. He had made it to remind himself of the things she needed and to also to make sure that he didn't forget anything. 

"Uhm. Hello?" Hajime spoke to the cashier.

"Yes?" she replied. Her nails were creating annoying tapping noises on her desk.

"I'm here for Ibuki Mioda's requests."

"Oh of course."

The lady disappeared into a small storage room. Piano notes played behind Hajime. He turned around to see Ko on the piano, his fingers flying across the keys. 

"Hey." 

Ko stiffened, but then relaxed when he realized that it was only Hajime.

"Never. Ever. Randomly talk to a pianist when they're playing in complete silence." He glared.

"I never knew you could play the piano."

Ko grinned slightly. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

The lady at the counter had returned. 

"Sir, here are your items."

Three humongous sized boxes that were as tall as Ko. 

"Oh. Thank you." He smiled at the woman. 

"You're welcome." She replied, and returned to whatever she was doing before.

Hajime's gaze shifted to Ko.

"Uh. Hehe. Would you mind helping me?"

Ko picked up two of the three boxes, walking out the door.

"Hey, wait! Don't push yourself! Your wound only closed up yesterday!"

"Geez... don't be so protective. It's supposed to be the other way around. How many times do I have to repeat that?" He joked.

A click of a camera sounded in the shop.

"Huh? Wha?" 

The lady sitting behind the counter smirked. It wasn't an "I'm going to stalk you to get your phone number" smirk, but one of a kind that Hajime had never seen before. A matchmaker's smirk.

"I ship." Was all she said.

"What?" Hajime raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing, nothing. Do whatever you were doing. I'm not here. Have fun." She spun around to face the wall, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

Hajime's suspicion increased, but he brushed it off his shoulder like it was nothing. Ko was waiting outside the store when he came out.

"So what now?"

Hajime scratched the back of his head. 

"Well. Er. Since you can be separated from me when we're in the same building, would you mind to wait in the food court? My friend doesn't know about you and uh...."

Ko nodded understandingly. 

"Of course I'll wait. I'm-"

"No. Shut up. No more of that crap."

Hajime turned around. His arms gripped the three boxes and heaved it up to his waist level with a grunt. 

"I'll take things from here. You can go wait." He commanded.

"Oh... okay." Ko hesitantly said. 

What was this? Why did Ko hesitate? 

Hajime didn't think much about it. 

A loud voice disrupted his thoughts. 

"HAJIMEEEEEEEE! OVER HEEERREEEE!" The voice called out to the brunet.

Peeking behind the boxes, Hajime could see a black haired girl with pink and blue highlights running towards him, waving frantically. Since he couldn't wave due to the boxes, he stopped and smiled at her.

"Ibuki is so glad! Ibuki thanks Hajime for doing this for her!" She beamed.

"You're welcome...." he blushed out of embarrassment of the praise.

"What do you want me to do with this?" He tilted his head towards the stack of boxes that were starting to take a toll on his scrawny arms. 

"Oh! You can place it on Ibuki's cart!" She motioned to the wheelie next to her.

As Hajime struggled to crouch down while holding the boxes to place them on the transport device, Ibuki spoke up.

"Hajime... When are you going to return to school? You know, the whole class has been worrying about you. How long is your suspension even?" She curiously asked.

Hajime smiled softly. His actions... had led him to consequences. In this case, it was suspension from his school, Hope's Peak Academy. But it was for a good reason. He didn't mind at all if it helped his classmates. He was a burden anyway. 

"I'm going to come back soon, but don't wait for me. Go on and don't give a thought about me." He laughed.

Ibuki's smile faded.

"Don't talk about yourself like that! Everyone cares about you!"

"Well anyways," Hajime changed the topic. "What are you doing with all these items anyways?" 

"Oh!" Stars danced in Ibuki's eyes. "Ibuki and her friends are going to make a party!" 

Hajime laughed carefreely. How long had he felt this relaxed? Probably one month ago, when his suspension started. It really did take a toll on him. Oh well. It was for a good purpose at least. He was able to protect someone, so it didn't matter what his consequences were. 

"When is this party going to be held?" He asked the grinning Ibuki. 

"Ibuki cannot tell~ It's a secret!" She winked while sticking her tongue out halfway.

Hajime sweatdropped. He sometimes forgot how optimistic Ibuki was. 

Ibuki checked the time on her phone. 

"Uh oh. IBUKI'S GONNA BE LATE! GOODBYE HAJIME!" She ran off with the wheelie in a hurry.

"Uh... Bye?" He replied slowly. 

He laughed to himself. His friends were so weird. But he cared about them, even if they were crazy.

He let out a long sigh. To be honest, Ibuki wasn't his classmate. Neither were most of his friends. All of his friends were from the main course, which was only for the talented. It was no place for ordinary people like Hajime. Instead of the main course, Hajime was placed into the Reserved course, which he got in due to his parents paying a large sum of money for his expensive education. Hope's Peak Academy was a very special school, made of specials, for the specials. The others, like Hajime, had to pay to get in.

Better not to dwell on those times. He still had to wait for his suspension to end before he could actually go back to the school. He wasn't eager to go back, though. Not after what happened.

Oh yeah. I forgot that I had dragged Ko here. I should probably go back to check up on him... He thought to himself when he started walking back to where he started.

When he arrived at the food court, everything blurred out around him. All the voices around him faded out. All he could see was the gruesome scene in front of him.

_________________________________________________________

 

The albino watched as Hajime walked away. His eyes never left the brunet until he started talking to the overly excited girl. Then he turned away and went to the food court where Hajime had instructed him to go. Ko pulled an empty chair out from an empty table, its metal legs scraping across the tiled floor of the court, emitting a large noise. His gazed sleepily at the brunet and his friend, Hajime's emotions washing over him.

Happiness, as well as a tinge of calmness, laced his emotions as he laughed with the girl in front of him. That was weird. Why did Hajime's feelings seem so carefree? When the brown-haired boy was around Ko, he always felt a bit of hesitance, as if he were still doubting whether or not to trust the psycho. He played with his chain as he continued to ponder over the question.

Suddenly, a cold feeling soaked through his hair, sinking into his scalp. Droplets of water started dripping down Ko's white hair.  
Was it raining inside?

"Eeeeeek! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!" a trembling girl's voice spoke up on the ground next to Ko.

His jade eyes looked down to see a choppy purple haired girl with bandages on her face, arms, and legs. She was protecting her face with both her arms as if she was shielding herself from him. Her flustered face made Ko feel guilty about himself.

"Hey. It's ok. It's just water. No harm done." He offered his hand to the girl.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." She continued to apologize over and over again.

Ko helped the girl up from the ground.

"I already said it's fine." He grabbed a tissue from one of the dispensers on the table and used it to dry his hair.  
He smiled at the girl.

"See? I'm fine now. You don't need to apologize anymore."

The girl was about to reply when a rude, childish voice broke the conversation.

"Hey, pigface! Where is my glass of water I ordered you to bring, huh?" She snapped.

"I'm so sorry! I dropped it on him!" She shielded herself yet again.

The crude girl had yellow pigtails and was wearing an orange kimono with a green sash. She had an annoyed face. That all cleared up when she saw Ko.

"Hey Mister~" She tried to flirt. "I apologize that my LOWLY servant here dumped water on your beautiful head. Right, Mikan?" She pushed the poor purple haired girl.

"I'm sorry! Please forgive meeeeee!" She wailed desperately.

"Hey. It wasn't her fault anyway." He defended.

"Anyways, enough about this pig trash here. Can I get your number?" She winked.

"I-"

A voice interrupted.

"Hey, what's going on here?"

Shoot. It was Hajime.

The brown haired boy meant business. His face was emotionless, but Ko could sense that he was horrified internally. But what was he horrified of? Did Ko need to protect him from it? The blonde girl's creepy smile widened even more. She pushed Mikan to the ground as she walked over to Hajime.  
Ko's senses heightened.

The girl stared up at Hajime as if she were taking in his looks.

"No time no see... Hajime."

"Back to you too... Hiyoko."

She snickered. "Aw. Don't be so mean," she pouted innocently.

"After all, you were the one who got suspended." She looked to her nails.

Suspended? What did she mean?

"That's none of your business Hiyoko."

"Oh but it is! The one you attacked was my dear friend. It was heartbreaking to see him suffer from your punch!" She fake cried.

"He deserved it. He was bullying Mikan and Mikan doesn't deserve that kind of treatment."

Hajime's eyes were cold and hard. There was not an ember of warmth to be seen. He crossed his arms, looking like he was done with all this crap.

"But you do know that the talentless are basically worthless. So the talentless cannot touch the talented with their dirty hands. You, on the other hand, did the opposite." She smirked.

"Admit it already. You know that the world won't need to suffer any more if you died. No one would care about your death because you're so worthless. You're just a BURDEN."

That was the trigger point. Hajime's hands clenched into fists. His bangs shadowed his eyes. His teeth were clenched. Just about when he was going to raise his hand against Hiyoko, Ko stepped in and grabbed the brunet's hand.

"Enough is enough." He glared at Hiyoko.

"As for you, you should probably leave. Or else." He warned.

Hiyoko snorted.

"Or else what? Ooooh. I see. You're his boyfriend, aren't you? Heh. I pity you. You have to cope with such a disgrace to society. Take my advice and dump him. He doesn't deserve you anyways. Maybe you'll want to hang out with me?" She chuckled, obviously smug that she figured the problem out like a detective.

In a flash, Ko was by her side with a blade upon her fragile neck. Oh, how he wished he could just snap it. He would love to feel the texture of her bones breaking underneath his touch. He hadn't done this in a long time, the feeling overpowering his thoughts. He wanted to see blood.

He restrained himself. He couldn't kill in public, not with so many eyes watching him. He made sure to shield the knife with his hair so no one could see it but him.  
Ko felt her breath stop in fear.

"Next time I see you, I won't hesitate to kill." His voice was laced with the need for blood and the intention of murder.

Hiyoko knew he wasn't lying at all. Ko gripped the blonde tighter.

"Oh and also, make sure not to tell anyone about this, or I'll slit your throat before you can even cry for help."

A tiny "shink" sound was heard as Ko sheathed the pocket knife.

He released Hiyoko's trembling figure and stepped towards Mikan, who still had her eyes shut. He placed a gentle hand upon her head.

"You."

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

"Learn how to defend yourself. People like you shouldn't be pushed around so much. Learn to stand up for yourself." He smiled warmly at her.

Ko took Hajime's shoulder and walked him out of the mall. The brunet's eyes were cast down on the floor, and his posture showed more of defeat than confidence.  
Thanks to that problem happening, Ko was also in a bad mood himself.

He had felt something in Hajime that he never wanted anyone or himself to feel ever again, especially in the person he was supposed to be protecting, both mentally and physically.

He had felt the feeling of Despair.  
_____________________________________________________

He couldn't hear anything after she uttered the word "burden". Everything dimmed inside of him and all he could think about were them.

_"You're such a nuisance!"_

_"Don't go helping people when you can't even help yourself."_

_"You're just a problem for everyone to carry on their shoulders."_

_"You're not talented. What a waste."_

_"I heard he only got in because of all the money his parents gave the school. Haha."_

_"You're only a burden."_

_"You should go die!"_

_Should go die?_

_Go die._

_Die._

_He wanted to die._

A warm hand on his shoulder snapped his thoughts in half like twigs. A comforting feeling rushed into his chest.

Ko.

The albino began walking Hajime out of the mall, not uttering a sound. With his eyes downcast and his shoulders drooped, the brunet followed his protector out the door. The heavy sound of rain caused Hajime to look up at the sky.

Oh, so it was raining again? He had forgotten an umbrella. He glanced towards Ko, wanting to see his reaction to the weather. Ko noticed Hajime's troubling gaze and gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's okay. The mall isn't that far from my house. I can probably carry you and run. Oh hey, are you cold?" He raised an eyebrow.

Hajime's teeth were clattering against each other since he had worn short sleeves instead of long ones. It had been warm in the afternoon though. Screw the weather.

"N-no I-I'm n-not." He defended.

However, the sneeze that came from him betrayed his thoughts. Ko laughed.

"W-what's s-so fun-ny?" He tried to form the words in between the chattering of his teeth.

A warm presence suddenly enveloped him around his shoulders. Ko had given him his coat. He seemed okay with it even though he was wearing short sleeves. He was probably faking it again.

"Thank you," the brunet murmured, clutching it closer.

"But won't you get cold?" He questioned.

"Nah it's fine. I can bear it."

"Well, how are we going to get back now?"

The sky was dimming into a dark purple color that peeked from behind the clouds. It was nightfall. The air would get colder anytime soon.

Suddenly, Hajime legs were no longer touching the ground. Instead, he was being carried bridal style by Ko.

"Eh?!" At least this was the back entrance of the mall not many people were there.

"Hold on," Ko grinned like a maniac.

He shot off like a bullet, into the cold rain. The jacket shielded Hajime from most of the rain, so he didn't get wet from it. However, in Ko's case, the rain flew into his face as he ran, drenching his hair.

 

~

"You should go take the shower first! You're covered in rain!" Hajime protested as Ko pushed him towards the bathroom.

"I don't need it. You first."

"YOU'LL CATCH A FRIGGIN' COLD!"

"Relax. My immune system can take on anything." He boasted.

"Fine, fine. But you'll have to promise me that you will at least change your clothes so you won't get sick and die on me." He huffed in annoyance.

"Eh. Whatever. I always liked the thought of dying anyway."

Hajime glared at the boy in front of him.

"I'm going to take the shower first then. You better not get sick." He stated, closing the door.

Before he did though, a sneeze came from the living room.

"I TOLD YOU."

~

Hajime walked out of the bathroom with a towel on his head.

"Ko you can use it now."

"Huh? Okay." A nasalized voice came from behind the couch.

"Do you have a stuffy nose?" Hajime questioned suspiciously.

"Eh? Nononono."

The brunet rolled the eyes. It was unexpectedly fast, though. How could someone catch a cold in such a short time? It had only been forty-five minutes when they came back.

Unless...

"Ko..." Hajime dragged out the words slowly and carefully. "Did you not change clothes?"

"Huh? Wha? I did."

"You liar."

"See? I'm not lying. I did!" Ko defended himself against the accusation.

Hajime's eyes narrowed.

"That is also a lie."

He grabbed a fistful of Ko's shirt. It wasn't warm, but cold, as if he had been only wearing it minutes before Hajime came out of the shower.

"It's cold. Which means that YOU didn't bother to change right when I entered the bathroom."

He then raised a hand, as if he were going to strike Ko for his stupidity. However, it was only to feel Ko's fluffy hair, which was used against his case.

"Your hair is still wet, which indicates that you haven't bothered to dry it," Hajime concluded.

He placed his hands on his hips.

"What do you say now?"

Ko sighed, and shook his head.

"You're such a troublesome kid..."

"HEY, WHO YOU CALLING A KID?"

Ko blankly stared at Hajime like he had grown three more heads.

"Although my birthday is after yours, I'm taller. So you're a child to me." He smirked.

Hajime clenched his fist in front of him as a threatening pose.

"Ko..." He warned.

A loud fit of coughing shook Ko to the core. His voice was raspy as he coughed. Hajime's worry intensified.

"Didn't you say your immune system could take on anything?" He tried to joke.

Ko's coughing ceased.

"Yeah... um, about that..." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

Hajime pointed his finger towards the bathroom.

"Shower. Now."

Ko didn't disobey him this time.

Hajime waited as Ko shut the door behind him, then collapsed on the couch.

_Geez, what am I going to do with this guy? But I have to admit, his hair was fluffy..._

He remembered the texture underneath his fingers as he placed them on top of Ko's head. The albino's hair was smooth and silky, traveling in between the cracks of Hajime's fingers as he ruffled them. He wasn't aware of how long he fantasized over Ko's hair, but he lost his train of thought when he heard the bathroom door open. Ko was finally finished.

Unlike Hajime, Ko didn't look so refreshed after the shower. His face was more flushed and his actions were sluggish. He was practically dragging himself over to the bed.

"Ko? All you alright?" Hajime asked in front of the albino.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm... fine." Ko breathed heavily.

It seemed like his eyelids were closing on him too.

Ko swayed on the balls of his feet.

"I'm.... fine."

He collapsed onto Hajime.

"Ko? KO???"


	5. Chapter 5

Hajime placed his hand upon Ko's forehead, and believe me, it was the same temperature as a fire. 

"What the heck?" 

He was burning up like crazy. Worst of all, Hajime had no knowledge about how to cure fevers or how to treat them. Desperate times like this requires desperate measures.   
He had to call her.

"Uhm Mikan? Yeah, it's me. Hey, can I ask for a favor?"

~

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" The purple haired girl wailed.

"Mikan! Calm down! Now's not the time to be apologizing!"

"I'M SORRYYY!"

Hajime exhaled.

"Can you help me treat him?"

"Of c-course! I would gladly help Ko!" Hajime had told Mikan Ko's name and his current state when he first called her.

Mikan rummaged through her first aid kit. She always lugged it along just in case someone needed medical attention. You can't blame her, it's a habit. She is the Ultimate Nurse after all.

"EEEEK!" She suddenly shrieked.

"What is it?!"

"IT'S OVER ONE HUNDRED AND TWO DEGREES FAHRENHEIT!" 

"WHAT THE ACTUAL- THAT'S NOT NORMAL RIGHT?"

The house was filled with panic and yelling now.

"SAYS THE ONE LIVING SECRETLY UNDER A MANHOLE!"Mikan yelled back.

She clamped a hand on her mouth, realizing her mistake. She had talked back to someone.

"I'm so sorry! Forgive me!" She wailed.

Hajime didn't have time for this. He looked at Ko.

Was he.... fading? What?

Is it because he was dying? And since he's a fictional character, this happens?

"MIKAAAANNNNN!!!! HURRY UP AND TREAT HIM!"

"YESYESYES!"

She lay a towel upon Ko's forehead. 

His breathing was all over the place, and he was sweating tons. Mikan hurried back to the bathroom to pour some medicine for Ko. Hajime watched in slow motion as Mikan tripped over the edge of the doorway and fell to the ground, taking the cup of medicine with her. It toppled out of her hands and onto the floor, staining the carpet a dark crimson color.

"EEEEEKKK!"

"PLEASE DON'T TELL ME THAT WAS THE LAST DOSE OF MEDICINE YOU HAD!"

"IT WAAAAASSS!" The poor girl sobbed.

"DON'T YOU HAVE PILLS?"

"I CAN'T FEED AN UNCONSCIOUS PERSON PILLS!"

"AGRHHHGHGH!!"

Hajime was irritated, annoyance bubbling inside of him like a pot of fondue.

"You know what, I'm just gonna head out and go get some more."

Before stepping out the door, Hajime muttered an order for Ko to stay here until he gets back, just like last time. Ko's collar grew red, then faded back. Hajime was glad that Mikan was still crying because if she had seen what had happened, there would be a lot of questions. The rain had ceased when Hajime climbed out of the secret manhole and onto the street. 

He walked down the sidewalk, bowing his head as he did so. 

"Mommy! Can we get ice cream, pleaaaseeeee?" A child about the age of five asked his mother.

She gently smiled at her son.

"Of course dear." She replied. The boy jumped up and down with glee.

Hajime's eyes softened.

He wished his mother was still here by his side today. Unfortunately, she and Hajime's father had died when he was only six, leaving him to defend for himself.   
The orphanage he lived in before moving into Hope's Peak Academy-due to his mother's last dying wish in her will- was full of crowded people. They were all like him, abandoned by parents, no talent, ordinary people. 

But he was the most ordinary out of them. All of them had something that they were good at, whether it be a leader, sports, writing, or math. But Hajime had nothing. That's the reason why he got picked on so often during those times. Before he knew it, Hajime was at the drugstore. Ko's fever was extremely high, but they couldn't risk bringing him to the hospital due to the unusual trait of fading that Ko now possessed. 

The drugstore was empty. There was no one and no supplies. But the door was open. Confusion gripped Hajime. There was no medicine. Ko would continue to suffer if he didn't find medicine fast enough He ran out of the drugstore, running towards the next nearest shop. 

His phone rang in his pocket. It was Mikan.

"Hajime! Hurry up! Ko's burning up!" She cried.

"All the shops are empty, though!" 

"EH?!" 

He wasn't looking when all of a sudden someone appeared behind him. He had no time to react as he watched a blunt object come toward him, his phone frozen at his ear.

~

He awoke in a chair, dim lights illuminating a large room. Empty tables and chairs settled all over the place. It looked somewhat like a casino.

Then he realized. 

It WAS a casino.

What the heck was he doing here in a casino?

A throbbing pain at the back of his head reminded him.

He had been knocked unconscious. Something felt heavy around his torso, pinning him to the chair. Chains bound him to the back of the chair, and he couldn't untie it even with his arms free. 

The dealing of cards brought him back to reality as a girl with twin raven-haired curls sat down cross-legged across from him at the table. 

"I see that you have woken up." She sipped her tea carefully. 

The flow of steam left her cup, disappearing into the air. 

She was wearing a gothic dress that covered her knees as she sat. Her hair was adorned with a white headband that had a bow with the same color on the right side.   
Her piercing red eyes looked directly into Hajime's olive ones. 

"Let's play a game shall we?" She spoke.

The card dealer started passing out cards to both of them.

"What kind of game?" He asked cautiously.

"Oh, you know," She twirled her index finger around the cup. "A game of life and death."

Her gaze slithered to the boy. Hajime gulped.

"Let's propose a bet okay?" She said.

"What bet?"

"If I win, then you have to stay here. If you win, you get to leave, along with getting the medicine for your friend."

Hajime opened his mouth, about to ask her how she knew about Ko.

"Game on. Today's card game will be Blackjack." She pushed her tea to the side. 

"I assume you know how to play?"

Hajime nodded. He had watched the children at his orphanage play this game often. It was a game of natural luck more than skill. In this game, each player started out with two cards. 

Their objective was to get a perfect 21, or a number close to it.

The brunet was handed two cards. 

He gulped as he flipped them over, cold sweat dripping down his back. Questions lingered at the back of his head. This lady had not told him her name, but yet here he was, playing a game of Blackjack with her like old friends. What a twisted life he had. In his hands sat a queen and an ace. He could choose either a ten or one for the ace.   
His brows furrowed in concentration.

"Do you want a card or pass?" The raven-haired girl asked the boy, placing on a poker face.

"....Pass," Hajime replied with much uncertainty. 

The girl took a card from the neatly organized deck. 

She threw down her three cards onto the center of the table.

An ace, queen, and king. 

What luck.

Hajime's surroundings started to swirl around his vision.

How could she have won so easily? He hadn't even taken his third card yet and the girl had beaten him to it. The girl calmly sipped her tea.

"Good game."

Hajime fumbled for words.

She noticed his attempt to pick out the right words. Her lips curved up into a small smile.

"Never bet with the Ultimate Gambler," She grinned. 

Her pale fingers performed a clicking motion, and Hajime was untied, the chains falling at his feet.

"Throw him to the place underground."

She continued drinking her tea.

"Wait! Wait!" The brown haired boy struggled against his restraints. 

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get rid of the hands that gripped around his arms.

It was all over for him.

~~

The brunet was harshly thrown into a small yet clean prison. The walls were slick black. A small mirror stood at the right wall as if taunting the boy. The man who had brought him in chained him to the wall, his wrists pinned to his sides while his feet were restrained by chains coming from the front of the prison.   
Before the man could place those chains on Hajime's feet, he managed to land a kick on the man's face, drawing blood from the lip. He growled at his captor's henchman.

However, it seemed that the man in the suit did not care. He did not act out upon Hajime, or shout a string of terrible curse words at him. What a horrible reaction. He was too busy glaring at the man that he didn't notice the raven-haired girl from before advance towards him, towering over him. Her shadow copied her every move upon the ground as if it could pop out of the floor anytime and stab Hajime.

She lifted his chin towards her, looking directly into his olive ones, just like she had done before.

"Hmm. What beautiful eyes you have," She mumbled. "Let's see how they react to my punishments. After all, He did say that I could have fun with you." She laughed, obviously overjoyed at herself.

The brunet 'tsked' in annoyance, trying to mask the fear that was lurking within him. She stood up and walked over to a nearby computer that was sitting next to the cell. 

"Now... let's see what your weakness is...." 

The raven-haired girl slowly stalked back towards Hajime, holding a syringe. 

She stuck it into the struggling brunet's neck, despite his efforts to kick her or harm her in some way. The resistance against the chains was starting to take a toll on his energy. The drug that had been injected into the brunet took effect almost immediately. It sent a tidal wave of agonizing pain into his body, shaking him to the core.   
He screamed out in pain before sinking into the darkness.

~  
Hajime could only see darkness.

Someone suddenly shook his shoulder.

"-jime. Hajime?"

His eyes shot wide open. He was back at his school. The school's emblem stood proudly at the front of the classroom, weaved onto a flag the color of jade. Jade? Why did that remind him of something...?

"Hajime? Are you okay?" The person shaking his shoulder asked.

"Huh? Yeah." Definitely not.

"Oh, you fell asleep in class, so I decided to wake you up." 

"I'm sorry but, what's your name?"

"Ah, I don't talk to you very often, but my name is Takeshi. I don't really have a last name." He laughed.

"Thanks, Takeshi."

"No prob." He walked away. "Well, see you later!" Takeshi waved, still wearing a smile on his face.

He must have dozed off in class.

Does that mean that everything before was a dream?

What was his dream about again?

Eh, better not think about it. He had stuff to do anyway.

"Hajimeeeee!!!" A tanned figure appeared in his view.

"Oh hey Akane." He waved to the girl.

"Don't you hey me. Did you make me food?" Her eyes sparkled in delight.

Hajime laughed lightly. 

"Of course I did!" 

"Yayyyy!!! Hajime is my best buddy!" Akane smothered Hajime into a hug.

"Can't..... breathe...." He gasped for air.

A blob of neon pink hair separated the two.

"Stop suffocating the poor boy, Akane." He said, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Awwww." She whined.

"Hey! How 'ya doin'?" He asked Hajime.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asking."

"Oh yeah! I have a date with Sonia later today! She finally said yes!" He punched a fist into the air.

Hajime sweatdropped.

_That's probably only because she wants you to stop bothering her..._

To be honest, though, he was really happy for his friends. His talented friends. He didn't deserve to be with them. He was a nobody. The sky suddenly darkened, and shadows crept along the ground, plunging the world into darkness.

"Huh?"

Souda's grinning face contorted into a sadistic smile. A knife flickered, disappearing and appearing again, in his hand. Using that knife, he stabbed himself in the chest with it.

Blood gushed out of the wound, staining the ground a deep dark red. 

Akane had the same face as Souda and also stabbed herself in the heart, her blood splattering onto her white shirt. Her pupils rolled to the back of her head before she collapsed onto the ground, sinking beneath the brick road. 

"Akane?! Souda?!" He panicked. Hajime was absolutely horrified at the gruesome scene that lay before his eyes. 

Corpses piled up in stacks around the brunet. 

The shock of his friends' deaths made his way slowly to his heart and brain, cradling them like newborns. Fear's cold hands enveloped his body, wrapping around him, numbing his senses. Voices whispered in the background.

 _You're useless.You don't deserve to be with us._ Souda's bloody form appeared right in front of Hajime. He stumbled backward, falling onto his bottom.

"Wha- What's happening???" He asked himself.

 _You have no talent._ Akane's voice echoed around the skies.

 _You're only ordinary._ Mikan's voice filled the air.

 _You don't deserve to be around us. You only cast shame upon us._ Ibuki cackled.

Ibuki too???! What was going on?!

Hajime gripped his head tightly, screaming at the voices to go away and leave him. 

"STOP! STOP! STOP!" He screamed.

The merciless voices only laughed at his despair. So this was what despair felt like.

It was a hopeless, empty, lonely feeling that gnawed at his guts.

He was so cold.

His fingers were cold at the tips.

Fat tears dropped out of his eyes. Hajime squeezed his eyes closed, rocking his body back and forth. Yet the voices continued to taunt him, more and more.

He hated it.

He hated this world.

He hated this world in which he was born in with no talent or ability of any sort.

He was only ordinary.

He could never fit in with all the high-class people.

He should just die.

The brunet snapped open his eyes as he realized.

This would be all over if he killed himself right?

He glanced around the dead bodies, trying to locate a tool that he could use to kill himself. A blade shone on an empty spot on the ground. Hajime scrambled towards it, exhaustion filling his body. He grasped the handle in his palm, feeling the roughness of the handle. He should do it. He should just stab himself and get this all over with it.

 _DON'T DO IT!!!!_ A voice yelled within his mind. It was a soothing but desperate tone. 

He had heard this voice before, but where?

 _HAJIME! DON'T DO IT!_ The voice got more urgent.

It actually put the brown haired boy at ease. 

It was so soothing.

He wanted to hear it again.

He placed the metallic tip of the knife towards his heart, poking his shirt ever so slightly.

 _NO!_ The voice yelled again.

That was the last time.

Maybe Hajime could hear it once more when he departed from this world.

He closed his eyes and plunged the knife into his beating heart.

~~

The pain was agonizing. It shredded Hajime's heart into pieces. It was unbearable.

And as quickly as it had come, the darkness disappeared, leaving a blinding light in its wake.

His mind was sluggish. Wasn't he back at Hope's Peak just a few minutes ago? How'd he get back here?

"Do you like your little dream?" A girl smirked from outside the bars.

He forgot who she was. Where had he seen her before? Everything was cloudy in his brain.

"How's Ko?" Was all he could mutter. The words fell from his lips in a breathless voice. 

"Oh, your friend is well taken care of. As long as you stay here as my captive, I'll provide him with as much medicine as he needs. So think carefully about escaping. If you do so, I can cut off the medicine funds for your albino friend," She shrugged. 

His pile of despair grew even larger.

She noticed the concern growing on his face.

"Don't worry, though. He won't feel your pain." She assured him.

"As I always say, 'Don't help others when you can't even help yourself.' by Celestia Ludenberg."

So that was the girl's name. He felt too hazy to even remember it. He really wanted to ask her how she knew about him and Ko, but his throat was dry, so he couldn't say anything else.

"You still haven't broken yet? Tch. Such a stubborn young man. Well then, let's see if you can handle this."

She drew out a purple leathered book.

Then Hajime realized. He had forgotten that he had taken the book when he went out to look for the medicine since he didn't trust Mikan at his house with it.  
What was she going to do with it?

A ball of pain began to form in Hajime's stomach.

Celestia was trying to pry open the leathered book with her fingers. 

"Ah, I see. He did tell me that this would happen. But I do wonder what would happen if I did this...." She grinned menacingly.

Her skinny fingers slowly tried to pull the book covers apart even more.

The ball of pain that the brunet had felt earlier increased little by little for every attempt Celestia tried to open the book. All of a sudden, the raven-haired girl applied all her strength onto the book covers. The book still did not open, but Celestia continued to apply pressure onto the covers. Her gaze slid to the boy.

All Hajime felt was pain. Pain, pain, and more hot white pain. The torture crippled his body, not stopping even for a break. 

Celestia released the force applied onto the book, smirking at the brunet's contorted face. 

"Let's experiment more shall we?" She looked at Hajime.

As quick and nimble as a rat, she pulled out a dagger, its blade gleaming at the tip in the dim lights. 

Hajime knew what was coming next, but his body wasn't prepared for it.

Celestia swiftly stabbed the front cover of the leather-bound book and watched with no emotion as Hajime struggled in pain. 'Struggled' wasn't even the right word to describe how Hajime felt.

He was practically enveloped in it. 

There was so much agony, he had to yell to release some of the pain that writhed in his body. He harshly bit his lower lip, drawing blood. This was pure torture. He could not do anything against it. 

Celestia slowly took the knife out, exaggerating the movement to make the brunet suffer even more. She smiled as the tip of the blade rose out of the cover.

The pain in Hajime started ebbing away slowly, becoming a throbbing pain balled up in his stomach. If he couldn't handle this pain, then how was he going to survive until someone found him? He laughed at the thought of someone coming to save him. To be honest, he DIDN'T want to be saved. He had no idea if Ko was recovering or not, so he couldn't take the risk of someone finding him before Ko's fever disappeared.

It was all for his sake.

It was for Ko.

Hajime had to endure the pain for Ko.

He was the only person who actually honestly cared for the brunet. No one else in his life had ever given him such warmth after his parents had died.  
It's all for Ko...

Hajime's mind was swept off into a dreamless sleep.

**Day 2**

Hajime awoke to a masked figure standing in front of the doorway to his cell. Celestia, as usual, was sitting on a chair, casually sipping her tea.

The scent of it wafted up the brunet's nostrils. It was heavenly. It must have been at least twelve hours since he had last eaten anything. However, he didn't have the guts to ask for food or water. That would only make him appear as weak and desperate, the opposite of what he wanted to show. Near Celestia was a circular wheel with the words "mental" and "physical" written in black ink. The words were separated by a horizontal line going straight through the middle of the board.

Celestia noticed Hajime's confusion.

"This is your daily torture generator. I will spin it, and wherever the arrow lands on will be the type of torment you will receive that day."

What the actual- Is she serious? 

Hajime knew that he had the worst luck. His claim was supported when Celestia spun the wheel. It landed on physical torment.

Well, fu-

He silently cursed his throat too parched to utter any words.

Celestia swept her right leg over her left, amusement flickering across her expression. She placed down her cup on the plate.

"You may begin," She ordered the masked man.

Celestia propped up her head with her hand, ready to enjoy the suffering and despair that would await Hajime. The masked man advanced towards the brunet as he tried to cower away into the tiniest ball he could create with his body. He had no such luck for the chains that were binding him were too short for him to do so. What luck.

The man threw a gleaming dagger into Hajime's stomach, lodging it between the brunet and the wall. Hajime's eyes widened, blood dripping out of his mouth.

He had to be strong, for Ko.

It was all for Ko. 

He wouldn't let them break him, not now, not ever. He wouldn't give in to the pain or despair. 

He had to be as tough as steel, not giving Celestia his screams of pain, the thing she wanted to see most.

Hajime stared up at the man standing before him, gritted his teeth, and waited for the torture to begin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Day 3**

He wanted death more than anything. He wanted it to take him away from all his suffering.

However, Celeste had not let death come to him that easily. After long agonizing hours of torture, she was displeased at the fact that Hajime had not yet broken like she wanted him to.

After every session, Hajime would be patched up by the medics so that he wouldn't die. He refused his food so often that Celeste had no choice but to inject nutritional fluids into the brunet's body to stop it from collapsing due to malnutrition. She didn't want her toy to die after all. She wanted to have more fun with him first, and see the emotion on Hajime's face as he broke, both mentally and physically.

She spun the wheel the second time this week. It landed on mental. Her favorite.Not so much of Hajime's though.

The brunet would take on physical torment any day. He would do anything but mental torment.

His sanity would almost be thrown off the edge of his mind sometimes.

The thought of being strong and doing it for the greater good was the only thing that held it in check.

Hajime hated the mental tortures. The dreams would fondle with his mind, casting illusion upon illusion until he couldn't tell the difference between reality and dreams anymore.

Oh, how he wished he could die. If only that witch let him. He wouldn't surrender his weakness to Celeste that easily.

She would just have to find it herself. Good luck to that.

Day 4

Physical torture today. It was like a carousel of agony. Every day, filled with torment until Hajime's body couldn't take it anymore. He had forgotten about Ko and his feverish state right now. It was that bad.

Scars littered Hajime's pale skin that seemed to hang off his bones.

Blood and sweat mixed together, crusting his brown hair.

His eye sockets were sunk in, he almost looked like the walking dead. But he wouldn't give in just yet. He still had a trump card up his sleeve.

The nails on his wrist restraints were very very loose, indicating that he could pull them off anytime. As for his leg restraints, Hajime realized that he now could pull them off his ease, due to his struggling in the torture sessions.

He would make his escape today.

Hajime watched the last guard leave for break. Their footsteps receded down the hallway until it faded away. They hadn't even bothered to lock his cell door.

Incredible luck.

For defense, Hajime took a shard of glass from the mirror he had broken out of rage yesterday. Before he broke it though, the brunet had noticed that his original eye color had changed. Instead of olive green, both of his eyes were now a piercing red color, just like Celeste's. He was too shocked to think when it had changed when he first saw it. Not like it really mattered anyway.

Armed with the sharp piece of glass, Hajime limped out of his cell and into the empty hallway. 

Freedom was just at his fingertips. If only he could reach it.

He walked into a figure, his head slamming against the body.

"What are you doing out here?" The figure asked.

Hajime looked up at the person he had bumped into.

He struck like a snake, using the piece of glass to stab the figure in the chest. He didn't care if they were on Celeste's side or not. He had learned to trust nobody. That's his way of surviving. You can't even seem to trust yourself either. He couldn't be dependent on someone since they'll just end up stabbing you right in the back again.

Hajime only walked a few paces when a bittersweet sounding voice echoed around the halls.

"Well, well. Who's been a bad boy?"

**Day 5**

He was back. This time, Celeste showed no mercy. It was both mental and physical torture. To make it worse, Celeste had hit the jackpot, as she did every time in gambling. She had found Hajime's weakness.

Celeste didn't know how she hadn't seen it before. It was all so obvious.

She watched as Hajime bleed out on the floor with double restraints. The crimson blood leaked into cracks in the floor, staining it red yet again.

Then came her most favorite part of today's torture session.

Surely he would break this time. If not, the second. As everyone says, third time's the charm. Hajime wasn't even conscious when Celeste stuck yet another needle into his fragile skin.

The darkness swirled around his mind, enveloping the boy in a cocoon of black.

He was back in his prison cell. His body ached all over, but besides that, he was perfectly normal. So all that was a dream? He sighed in relief. And to think that it was actually real.

He spotted a blob of white hair at the entrance of his cell.

"Ko!" Hajime called out almost immediately.

"I'm over here! Help me!"

He saw Ko's face in the dim light. The albino wore a face of shock and sadness.

"You're still not dead?" He sighed, crossing his arms.

"Wha-What?" Hajime stuttered. He tried to reach out for his protector, but a collar around his neck stopped him from doing so. He fell backward, clawing at the collar, wanting to be released.

"Don't struggle. It'll just make it worse," Ko stated.

"What do you mean?" Confusion gripped Hajime and squeezed him so tightly that he couldn't 

breathe properly anymore.

Ko looked at Hajime with disappointing eyes.

"It means that I have to kill you myself. I knew I couldn't trust Celeste with that task. Oh well, after I kill you, I can finally be free anyways."

"Kill me? Wha-what do you mean?" Hajime panicked.

Ko was actually in league with Celeste?

Why? When? How? What?

"Geez... you're such a burden. That's more of the reason to kill you." Ko started advancing towards Hajime.

He lifted his foot and stomped on the brunet's stomach, causing the air in his lungs to disappear.

Ko lifted his foot and did it again, and again, and again. A coppery tang appeared in Hajime's mouth. Blood.

Ko laughed as he drew long lines onto Hajime's skin with a blade, spelling out the words BURDEN.

"There we go. Now you shall forever be branded as a nobody who isn't loved by anyone or anything. You'll forever be a loner. Goodbye, Hajime Hinata."

Ko brought the knife downwards and into Hajime's shattered heart.

**Day 6**

It was all over. His sanity had withered into dust, and his heart and soul had been shattered into a million fragments, not even the gods could put it back together again.

He had broken, given into Despair.

He had lost all will to live.

He was just an empty shell with no soul or emotions.

He had become a new person.

He had given up Hope.

The last torture session had broken Hajime. He had now lost his sense of reality and the dream world. But he did manage to obtain a vital piece of information.

If he were in a dream, he would have to kill himself to escape. It was the only logical thing to do. His red eyes darted across the floor, half-closed, an attempt to find anything to kill himself with. Nothing.

Too bad the medics had cleaned up the mirror and its shards.

No one was going to come for Hajime now.

That was the truth.

It was the final truth that demolished his last fragment of hope.

* * *

Ko felt something cool and wet being placed on his forehead. He no longer felt sick. Guilt twisted in his gut.

He had lied to Hajime.

His immune system was the weakest to sicknesses, and that was one of his major weaknesses.

In other words, he was the most vulnerable to diseases and even the simplest of them all may lead to his death.

Very slowly, he opened his eyes. This time, the ceiling was familiar. He chuckled to himself. Had Hajime been the one taking care of him the entire time? That would be a sight to see.

"Ko! You're awake!" A timid voice spoke up. What happened to Hajime? Had he transformed into a girl? What in the world did he miss when he was unconscious?

Purple locks flew to his side as a girl in a nurse's apron rushed towards the bed.

"Mikan? What are you doing here?" He tried to say.

But the words ended up sounding like, "Mian? Wha yu doin heyere?"

His throat was extremely dry, and he couldn't form out any proper words.

Noticing this, Mikan gasped and rushed into the kitchen to get Ko a glass of water.

The cool liquid soothed his parched throat, quenching his thirst.

"Where's Hinata-kun?" He asked the nurse, tilting his head as he did so.

She blushed, her face tinted with a rosy color.

She rubbed her hands together.

"Well, you see, he left you."

Ko did not show it to Mikan, but fear clutched his heart internally. In such a short time, Hajime had left him. Was it because of guilt?

Then he realized.

Short time? How long did he exactly stay unconscious for?

The albino threw off his covers and swung his weak legs over the side of the bed, attempting to get off. He failed. As soon as he properly tried to stand up, his legs collapsed under him.

He cussed.

"You shouldn't be out of bed yet!" Mikan fussed over Ko.

"Mikan..... What day is it today?" He gazed up intently at the purple-haired girl.

She blushed yet again. What was she so embarrassed about?

"I-It's the third of March. Why?"

Ko thought for a long moment.

It was the first when he had caught the fever, which means that he had been knocked out for exactly two days.

It had been two days since Hajime abandoned him.

But something wasn't quite right, and Ko couldn't quite seem to lay a finger on what it was. He pondered over the thought, but no matter how long he wondered about what the problem was, he couldn't find it. His gut feelings were telling him that something was seriously wrong.

A faint memory surfaced at the top of his head.

"Stay here until I get back."

That was Hajime's voice. The albino had been drifting in and out of consciousness on the first day in his sickbed, so his ears had caught those words when he was half awake.

His collar even reacted to it, which means that the command was fully registered. Therefore, he could not leave this building until the brunet came back.

A thought struck him like a lightning bolt from the sky.

Wait a moment... Hinata-kun had said 'Stay here until I get back.' That does NOT sound like he left me in anger or guilt. There was more concern in his voice than those two feelings. Which means...

His half-lidded eyes turned to Mikan.

Either I'm wrong about all of this...

Or I'm being lied to.

Mikan squirmed under Ko's cold stare. "I-Is everything o-ok?" She stuttered in concern.

She may be innocent on the outside, but her lies will leave her lips whenever she pleases. I need to study her more to figure out this situation...

Ko forced a smile onto his face.

"Yeah! Everything's fine!"

"I-I'm sorry that Hajime left you. I never thought he'd do that. If you like, I could stay here with you until you fully recover." Her face became red.

Ooooook. Time out. Something was seriously wrong. Ko had read enough books to know what this attitude was.

He shook his head.

It was too early to accuse her. He didn't have enough proof.

"That'll be great! Thank you Mikan!" He softly smiled.

The ultimate nurse fainted.

* * *

A few hours of practice was all it took to regain the strength in his leg muscles.

There was something wrong about that fact, too.

If he'd been asleep for only TWO days, then why did his legs feel so weak? He wouldn't need physical therapy for his legs after two days in bed.

He had to confirm his suspicions.

Later that day when Mikan was sound asleep on a temporary futon that Ko had set up for her, he stealthily pick-pocketed his caregiver's phone and turned it on with a slight clicking sound.

He was right.

He had been lied to.

It was the SEVENTH of March, not the third.   
The truth shook him so much he fell onto his knees.

Hajime had been gone for SIX days, and Mikan did a splendid job covering this up.   
She had stamped all the calendars to look like it was the third, and she had purposely kept him here so that he wouldn't suspect a thing.

The real question was, where was Hajime?

If the brunet hadn't left him, then where in the world was he?

He needed answers. Now.

"MIKAN!" He yelled.

The poor girl sat up abruptly, her eyes half-closed due to the blinding lights.

He grabbed the collar of Mikan's shirt.

"WHERE'S HAJIME?!"

The nurse tripped over her own words.

"Wha-What d-do you m-mean?" Tears appeared at the corner of her eyes.

He pushed her harshly to the ground. He didn't care if she got hurt or not. She had lied to him. She had concealed the truth about Hajime from him.

"There's no use in playing innocent now," he growled, "I'll ask you one last time. Where. The. Hell. Is. Hajime."

Ko used Hajime's first name instead of his last name for formality. Yes, it was that bad. Mikan closed her eyes and started laughing insanely.

Wasn't Ko supposed to be the insane one? How ironic.

A deep, dark blush coated her face as she twiddled with her fingers.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!" She laughed, drooling at the corners of her mouth.

"What the heck?!" Ko stepped backward in fear of Mikan's sudden personality change. 

"YOU'RE TOO LATE! SHE PROBABLY BROKE HIM ALREADY!"

"What do you mean?" Panic gripped Ko's chest, suffocating him.

"WHAT DO I MEAN? AHAHAHHA! ISN'T IT OBVIOUS? I WANTED YOU FOR MYSELF! BUT HAJIME WAS IN THE WAY!" She cackled.

"So I got rid of him~" She sighed in a lovesick way.

Ko was too shocked to even move.

She had gotten rid of him? Just like trash?

"H-how?"

The next sentence that came out of Mikan's mouth made Ko's blood run cold.

"I killed him."

His mind went blank.

He couldn't think anymore.

Hajime... had... died?

The one he promised to protect was taken away from him that fast?

It was all Ko's fault. He was the one who had let the brunet down. In doing so, Hajime had lost his life.

Tears the size of pearls slid down Ko's pale cheek. His hand gingerly touched them, his finger pads wet with the salty tears.

When had he started crying? Why did he start crying?

A sudden realization snapped into place. He was _crying_.

If Hajime had truly died, Ko wouldn't have been able to cry or feel any emotions. It was all because he did _that_.

When Ko had done the forbidden action, his life was now in Hajime's hands, which means that if the brunet died, then Ko would have died too.

But he wasn't a corpse yet.

This proves that Hajime was still alive. The realization dawned on him. However, there was always the possibility that it may even be too late to save Hajime now since Ko had been unconscious for nearly a week.

The albino dismissed the thought. He wouldn't let those thoughts into his mind. He had to stay positive.

If Hajime was really alive and well, then Ko still had some time before he could go and save him.

The problem was, where did Hajime go? What had Mikan done with him?

The gears in his brain were turning, piecing the information together. He had failed to notice that Mikan was advancing towards him, pushing him to the bed.

The back of Ko's knees hit the front edge of the bed, causing him to fall over and onto the mattress.

"Now that I've killed him, you can finally be mine~" She purred seductively.

Is she for real? YANDERE ALERT.

Ko gritted his teeth. He attempted to sit upright, but Mikan's chest was pinning him down.

Thinking fast, he reached behind his head to grab the lamp placed on the mini table behind him. 

With one blow, Ko hit Mikan on the head with a loud thunk and rendered her unconscious.

He placed her limp body under the covers. He knew that she hadn't obtained this new personality by herself. Someone else had changed her. They had brainwashed her to love him.

He clenched his fists.

He walked to the door and was about to grab the brass handle when a major shock of pain traveled from his fingertips to the rest of his arm, causing the albino to immediately drop his arm in pain.

He had forgotten about the blood oath. The stupid, foolish, insolent blood oath. Curse it.  
Heck, curse this whole situation. If he hadn't had gotten sick, then none of this would have happened.

No. He can't blame himself for all of this yet. He had to find Hajime first. That was his first priority.

He needed to protect him.

He needed to protect him.

He needed to protect him.

His decision to protect Hajime even if he died overpowered the blood oath. This was a rare occasion in which the blood oath could be broken.

The oath could only be broken at times when the protector's will was stronger than the oath itself.

The collar grew warm, and there was no pain when Ko turned the doorknob.

* * *

Ko was walking down the road, thinking about the possible locations that Hajime might have gone to.

The most reasonable thought crossed his mind as he passed by the drug store.   
What if Mikan had sent Hajime to get medicine for him?

He turned his head towards the drug store, theorizing the possibility. He ran towards the store, making sure not to trip over the litter and debris along the way.

There was nothing in the drug store to Ko's disappointment. There was no sign of struggle or any resistance.

All the shelves were empty and no one was at the counter.

Ko found this absolutely suspicious.

Why open a drugstore when there aren't any employees? Maybe he would have more luck at the second drug store.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, out of breath when he arrived at the door of the store.

His fingers barely brushed the metal handle of the door when he noticed something shining on the floor out of his peripheral vision.

It clearly did not look like any piece of trash or any carelessly discarded item.

He crouched down to inspect the glimmering item.

Ko's eyes widened and his hands started trembling out of fear.

What lay on the floor was none other than Hajime's phone. The screen had cracked, the lines spreading all over the phone.

The mini keychain at the front of the phone was broken off and lay at the side of the device.

Hajime must have dropped it. It was the most logical reason. Only a force like that could possibly break a phone.

Then Ko saw it.

A bloodstain. His breath was getting shaky and ragged. Fear entirely consumed his heart, gripping the beating muscle in its palms.

That evidence proved it.

Hajime had indeed been taken.

Ko already knew who. Only He would have sent Her to complete this task. She was the main reason for all of his problems right now.

She would pay dearly for what she did. He would slowly strangle her to death, his hands gripping around her thin neck as she begged for her life. The corners of his mouth lifted upwards in a horrifying smile as he thought of what he would do to squeeze the life from her body.

Oh, how much fun he would have when witnessing the life fade from her eyes. It wasn't like she could actually die anyways.

Her death wouldn't affect anything in this world.

She was just a simple toy in His hands. The temptation almost made Ko insane for blood.

For now, he had to find Hajime first. Then he would mercilessly kill the doll who had taken the brunet from him.

He chuckled darkly at the thought, sprinting away from the crime scene like a vampire out for blood.

_You will pay dearly for your crimes. He silently threatened._

_Mark my words..._


	7. Chapter 7

The albino gracefully ran from street to street, his legs barely grazing the ground. His heart thumped wildly inside him, from both fear and excitement.

He had to go faster. His leg muscles were screaming in protest now. The wind whispered beside his ears as Ko continued to run. He wouldn't stop until he reached his destination. He couldn't stop. If he were to be even one minute late, he didn't want to know what would happen to Hajime.

His feet screeched to a sudden stop in front of a large warehouse. Ah yes, the original warehouse cliche. It was a warehouse every time. He was getting sick of them.  
Ko's stomach lurched as he walked into the empty place. His footsteps echoed around him when he walked onto the stone floors.  
There was no one to be seen. Now, you may think that Ko had come to the wrong place since there's obviously not a single soul to be seen, but you're wrong.

Ko's jade eyes darted around the room for a moment before landing on a pile of wooden boxes that were marked, in caps, the word fragile.

Very suspicious indeed. He mused to himself. The boxes were surprisingly light. Probably because they had nothing in them, adding on to Ko's suspicions.

Under the boxes was a small trapdoor that was big enough to fit one person at a time in.

Aha.

Ko had hit the jackpot. What incredible luck. He lifted the cover of the trapdoor, making sure that it made no sound whatsoever. It was pitch dark in the tunnel leading down of the warehouse. Ko carefully made his way down the ladder, careful not to slip.

A warm, dim golden light bathed his hair a yellowish color.

He had arrived.

A large casino sat before his very eyes. All the seats were empty though, and no one was to be seen.

Lanterns hung on the ceiling, illuminating the room with the dim light. Cards and poker chips lay scattered on the tables as if everyone had left in a rush. All this was supposed to deceive Ko.

He knew better.

No one was here in the first place.

Only a small group of people dominated the whole casino.

And that whole group was led none other by-

The click of a gun barrel sounded behind Ko. He felt the cold tip of the gun barrel touch the crown of his head. He placed his hands into his coat pockets.

"Celeste Ludenburg. What an honor it is to be greeted so warmly by you." Ko said in a monotone voice.

"Back to you. What brings you here?" She asked.

"I'm taking back what I'm supposed to protect."

In a swift move, he turned around and snatched the gun away from the raven-haired girl. He aimed it at her forehead, cocking it.

Several clicks appeared at the sides of Ko. "So He sent you here didn't He?" 

She grinned.

"I see you're as observant as ever."

His finger gripped the trigger harder, threatening to shoot.

He noticed Celeste's ruby red eyes glance towards the tiny movement of his finger.

"Ah, ah." She cooed, waving her finger in a "no-no" signal.

"Let's play a game shall we?"

Ko blankly stared back at the gambler.

"I don't have time for games." He replied.

"Your little treasure doesn't have much time either.

Ko did not reply or even react to the statement.

Celeste chuckled.

"How about this? A bet."

"I have no time for bets."

Celeste ignored him and continued to speak.

"Play a card game with me. If you win, I'll let your little treasure go. If I win though, I'll keep him as my toy, and you watch while I continue to break his fragile body." She snickered.

There was no reaction from Ko when she said that.

"I accept." He said nonchalantly.

"Since I proposed the bet, I'll choose the game."

"That's fine with me. Let's get this over with already. I don't have much time." He sighed.

"Your treasure doesn't either."

His eyebrow twitched.

The two rivals sat at opposite ends of a table, intently staring at one another. Both were masters of poker faces. They never let their emotions show when they didn't want to. This was going to be tough.

"The card game for today will be Big Two. Are you familiar with that?"

Ko nodded wearily. Time was running short. He had to comply with Celeste's wishes before anything bad happened to Hajime.

The dealer shuffled the cards and passed out thirteen cards to each person.

Ko glanced at his cards, ordering them into the right positions.

Three, four, five, seven, nine, jack, queen, ace, and two.

He had two threes (spades and hearts), one four (diamond), three fives (club, heart, and spade), two sevens (diamond and hearts), one jack (joker), one queen (spades), one ace (hearts), and two twos (spades and hearts). The purpose of this game was to get rid of all of one's cards.

And right off the bat, Ko had a full house.

Three fives and two threes.

He also had the highest card, the two of spades.

What luck. After all, he was the Ultimate Luckster, which means that he was stuck through a cycle of bad and good luck all the time.

The two rivals played the heated game, not showing an ounce of emotion even as they played.

Ko was now down to two cards, and so was Celeste.

It was currently Ko's turn.

He placed down his five of spades because they had just flipped over another deck just before.

Celeste glanced at the card he had placed down, and back at hers.

"Pass," she said.

Ko slapped down his last card, which he had saved for the very last.

His trump card.

The two of spades.

"I win."

Celeste narrowed her eyes, sweeping her right leg over her left.

She sighed.

"As expected from the Ultimate Luckster. I guess even I can't beat you. Your luck gave you good cards. Oh well. I guess I'll have to give you your reward."

She beckoned him forward.

"Hurry up, would you? I haven't got all day, and neither has he."

Ko followed Celeste into a dark tunnel, the darkness consuming their bodies until the two faded away.

Ko walked down a marble staircase with Celeste, going deeper down into the building.

"I'm not sorry for anything I did. To be honest, he put up quite a fight. I really enjoyed watching him break." She giggled to herself.

Ko wanted to slit her throat right now, but he contained himself.

He would be more likely to get shot down before he could lay a hand on Celeste with all her bodyguards around.

"You may want to stay a reasonable distance away from your treasure." She warned.

A golden key unlocked the chain that bound the bars of the doors together.

What lay before Ko's eyes was the most gruesome scene he had ever seen in his life. He wanted to throw up on the ground right there.

Hajime was peppered with dark purple bruises and deep wounds that were crusted with dark blood. Bandages fell limply from the brunet's arms as they failed to cover up the wounds on his arms.

His legs were bleeding all over the place. His head was cast downwards at the space beneath him.

"Hinata-kun....?" Ko dared to mutter.

The chains that were bound to him created clanking noises, signaling that the brunet was indeed still alive and breathing.

To much of Ko's shock, red eyes pierced the darkness when the brunet slowly lifted his head.

Exactly what happened to him?

Hajime's face showed no emotion. It was as if he had no soul.

"So you've come to kill me again?" He said blankly.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ko replied in confusion.

Hajime 'tch'ed.

"You always pretend that you're innocent, but when I start trusting you, it's all a dream again. Do you know how many times I've seen a knife wind up in my stomach?" He started laughing coldly.

"I'm such an idiot, hah. I'm talking to a figment of my imagination." He chuckled darkly at himself.

"I supposed this is another dream after all. Honestly, I don't even know if I'm facing reality right now or not." He paused.

"Scratch that. I DON'T want to know."

Ko felt a sudden chill crawl up his spine.

"Just kill me already. What will it be with today? A knife? A gun? Just end my miserable life already."

"I'm not here to kill you! I'm here to take you back." Ko countered.

"Take me back? Hah! You're so amusing."  
Hajime's eyes narrowed.

"Listen up Ko," He placed much emphasis on the albino's name, "I hate you. I can't bear to see your face anymore. Just seeing you wants to make me kill myself." He tried to laugh.

Hajime gritted his teeth in pain in the middle of his speech.

Hajime's words stabbed through Ko's heart like a sword. Hajime hated him.

Ko wanted to know. He needed to know what happened to the person he was supposed to protect.

The albino lunged for Celeste's neck, pinning her against the wall.

"What the hell did you do to him?!" He demanded.

Several guns clicked behind him.

He didn't care about them now. He wanted to know.

He tightened his grip on Celeste's neck, his nails digging into her pale skin.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU DID TO HIM!!!" He yelled in her face.

"I broke him with some mental and physical torture." She simply said.

Ko ripped off the golden key that hung around her neck and went back to Hajime, who was looking at his with a deadly aura.

"Let's go home Hajime." He smiled softly.

"Just kill me already and save me from listening to all your trash talk."

Ko undid the chains with the key, talking them off of the brunet's wrists and ankles.

All he got for a "thank you" was a punch to his gut.

Hajime started lifting himself from the floor in a desperate attempt to run away from the albino.

This wasn't going to work. Ko had to make Hajime trust him in order to bring him back home, but with his trust broken, Ko had no choice but to forcefully take him back.

"Forgive me Hinata-kun." He whispered. With the right amount of force, Ko knife-hand chopped Hajime's neck, knocking the brunet unconscious.

Ko scooped up Hajime into his arms, tucking his right hand underneath his back and his left hand underneath the back of his knees. His blood boiled in anger.

The albino blamed himself for everything that happened.

If he hadn't fallen sick so easily, this would have never happened to Hajime.

Scars littered the brunet's body, adding on to the pile of guilt building up inside of Ko. He walked out of the tiny cell, glaring at Celeste until he reached the mouth of the tunnel.

"Your lucky that my hands aren't free at the moment," He spoke without looking back. "Or else I would have disemboweled you with my bare hands."

Celeste's mouth lifted into a tiny smile. His threat was empty to her. Honestly, she wouldn't care if she died. She was also a fictional character, so what's the point of death in the real world? She would always continue living in the fictional world. Ko walked into the tunnel, leaving everything behind him. The dim light began to fade around him and darkness swallowed him whole.

Once upon a time, Ko had lost his will to live. He would have embraced death like an old friend.

But that all changed when he met Hajime. The brunet had provided him a purpose in life, a will to live.

So he would return that favor.

He would give Hajime the same thing he was given.

Through Ko's eyes, Hajime was his hope.  
Therefore, Ko would become Hajime's hope, even if it cost him his life.

* * *

"My job here is done." A girl's voice said through one side of the phone.

"..."

"Yes. Everything is in perfect order."

"..."

"Of course. Goodbye."

The raven-haired girl placed down the phone on the table.

And then she disappeared.

The brunet woke up with a splintering headache.

He ignored the pain and sat upright. Where was he? How did he get here? And why did he feel so..... empty?

"Hinata-kun, are you all right?" A soft voice spoke up at the side of his bed.

Ko.

He didn't feel anything towards him but anger.

Lots and lots of rage.

"Don't come near me you psycho." He growled.

A pang of sadness flashed through Ko's eyes, but he quickly regained his posture.

His collar turned a bright red and faded. So it seems that Hajime had turned that statement into a command.

Ko tried to reach towards the brunet, but when he did so, a sharp pain rolled from the tips of his fingers to his neck.

The albino's eyes lowered in shame.

"Hinata-kun, I just want to tell you that this is all my fault. If I hadn't fallen sick, you wouldn't have become like this."

Hajime glared at Ko.

"I won't fall for your lies ever again. This is all a dream and I'm still back in my cell, right? So all I have to do it kill myself." He said with no emotion.

Emotion. That was what he was lacking. That was the empty feeling in his chest. The brunet could only feel anger and despair, but not any other emotions. It felt great to be finally released from all those things that restrained him from doing anything.

"NO!" Ko shouted, "This is not a dream! It's all real. I would never hurt you!"

"Lies."

"I'll prove it."

Ko slid a dagger from his sleeve.

Memories burst into Hajime's mind. The knife had triggered all those. Would Ko kill him with it again?

Taking a deep breath, hs stabbed himself in the stomach. Red blossomed against his shirt as Ko's face contorted into pain.

"See?" Ko panted heavily.

Surprise ran through Hajime's mind.

"Why would you do that, though? You're supposed to kill me with it, not stab yourself. What kind of dream is this?" He clutched his blanket, his headache getting worse by the moment due to all his thinking.

"It's because I'm your servant. I only live to serve you. You can do whatever you want with me. Crush me, burn me, break me, I'll still stay by your side until the very end." He swore.

"Then why should I trust you? This could be all a dream."

"Because I trust you. You don't have to trust me right off the bat, but just know that I'll be by your side whenever you need me." Ko was telling the truth. Hajime could practically feel the loyalty and devotion in his words. He almost felt pity for this creature. Almost.

"Fine... If this isn't a dream, then I suppose I'll buy into all this. You can come near me again." He spoke. He didn't know if he was making the right choice. This could all be Celeste's doing. But deep down in his heart, Hajime felt something real about this situation. He felt something towards the albino. But what was it? He wasn't absolutely sure yet.

"That's... great..." Ko collapsed onto the floor.

Hajime watched with blank eyes as the albino slid to the floor in a jumble of limbs. He didn't get out of his bed to help him either. He felt no pity and no sympathy for Ko. After all, the albino was a tool he could just use.

A blur of purple hair tumbled into the room like a hurricane.

"EEEEEEK! KO!" She screamed. "HAJIME HELP ME CARRY HIM TO THE BED!" Then she realized. Her eyes filled with shame and regret.

She heaved Ko onto her shoulder and placed him upon the soft mattress of the bed.  
She ran in and out of the room, bringing various supplies back to treat Ko.

"It's all right. I'll fix you." She said in a soothing voice.

"Thanks... Mikan. You know that I... do forgive you... right...?" He smiled weakly.  
She blushed.

"Thank you... I don't deserve your forgiveness. Not after everything I've done. She sneaked a glance at Hajime.

"I still need his forgiveness. He'll probably never forgive me for my actions." She bit her lip, drawing back the tears threatening to spill from her face.

"It's all right... It wasn't your fault..." The albino closed his eyes, falling into a deep slumber as Mikan quickly patched him up.

As Hajime watched from the sidelines, his heart felt a throbbing pain that came from the bottom-most corner of it.

Was this.... envy? But why would he feel envy? There was nothing to be jealous about.

Most of all, why did this emotion suddenly resurface? He raised a shaky hand towards his face.

What was happening to him?

He wanted to remember what he was like before he got thrown into all this mess. Everything was so confusing. His emotions were all over the place, and some were even locked up within his mind.

His body was covered with multiple bandages, and his eyes were red.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hajime noticed a purple leathered book.

The cover had a tiny slit in it, indicating that a knife had gone through it.

So this wasn't a dream. Everything that had happened from a week ago to now was all real.

Ko was real.

A timid voice spoke up next to Hajime.

"D-do you need some painkillers? I c-can get you some since it seemed like you were in pain."

It was the girl who had betrayed him. Trust was a fragile thing. One action could determine it all.

He would not forgive her just yet. Heck, he couldn't feel forgiveness.

He didn't care if she was manipulated. She turned against him for her own gains and that was that.

"No, I don't need your help. I can go get them myself," He rudely said, pushing the purple-haired nurse out of his way.

He needed more time to sort things out and fix himself.

His urge to die was greater than before, now that he couldn't trust anyone.

All he wanted right now, was a reason to live.

And he would find it before it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just copying and pasting from my works back at the beginning of the year, so my writing here is horrible compared to what I have now ._. Terribly sorry to strain your eyes.


	8. Chapter 8

_I need to get his trust back._ Was the first thought that crossed the albino's mind when he first awoke.

Mikan had left per his request since he said that it was best for her to leave, but he was sure that she would come back in the future to ask for Hajime's forgiveness.

He was always getting hurt these days, getting stabbed, cut, bruised, and mentally scarred.

All for some random boy he had to protect. It was actually pretty funny if you think about it.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

The sudden smell of waffles made the albino drool from the corners of his mouth.

It smelled so heavenly.

A brown-haired boy appeared from the doorway of the kitchen holding a tray full of the heavenly waffles he had smelled before, and a glass of orange juice.

“Hinata-kun? Why are you up from your bed so soon? You’re still injured!” The albino panicked, trying to lift his legs over the side of his bed.

He soon regretted it when the pain in his abdomen stopped him.

“Says the one who stabbed himself in the stomach. Geez. Relax for once would you? It’s time that I took care of you. You’re the one who should rest. I’ve gotten plenty already. I don’t want to sit in a bed all day and do nothing.” He sighed in annoyance.

“But-”

“No buts.”

“I was just going to ask you how you knew how to cook…..” He mumbled.

“Oh, uh, sorry.”

The brunet placed the plate of waffles on Ko’s lap. It’s delicious aroma tempted Ko’s hunger pangs.

“You gotta learn how to cook and fend for yourself when you’re the only one in your dorm,” Hajime said.

Ko was shoveling waffles into his mouth by the time Hajime completed his sentence.

“How come you don’t need to attend school?" Ko asked, downing the orange juice.

Hajime didn't respond. Ko had hit a touchy subject.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to pry." The albino apologized.

"No, no. It's fine. I'll tell you." Hajime sighed. "One day I saw Mikan getting bullied by Hiyoko and her friend, this guy in a dark hoodie. They were shouting rude things at her and shoving her to the ground. So I stepped in at an attempt to stop them. But as you know, the talented are separated from the normal students, and so the talented were more superior.

They mocked me and taunted me with insults at my talentless state, and continued to push Mikan around. So I snapped and punched the guy in the hoodie.   
Aaaaaand, I got suspended." Hajime finished.

"Just so you know, I don't regret anything. The principal suspended me for three full months, and that was the day before you came out of that dang book." He glanced at Ko.

Pity welled up inside Ko.

"It doesn't matter if you have talent or not, you just have to be you," Ko encouraged.

"You sound like Chiaki."

An uncomfortable awkward silence draped over the conversation.

Hajime coughed once, breaking the tension.

"Well," He cleared his throat, "We're short on some supplies, so why don't we go shopping?" He changed the topic.

"Sure. No problem."

Hajime's ears turned slightly pink.

"You have money right? I, uh, don't have a job and I'm kind of broke..." He trailed off awkwardly.

Ko had to laugh at that.

"That's what you're concerned about? It's fine. I have money." He chuckled.

Hajime's face remained blank as Ko laughed. The albino forgot that Hajime had temporarily lost his emotions.

Ko cleared his throat.

"I'll go get changed now..."

* * *

The supermarket was almost empty since it was a weekday. It was relaxed shopping for the two of them then.

"So Hinata-kun, what do we need?"

"Cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, curry sauce, and bread. Also, please stop calling me by my last name. It's getting awkward."  
He sighed.

"Then what should I call you? Perhaps Haji-kun?" Ko smirked.

Hajime did not laugh or show any emotion. Ko was starting to miss his blushing face when he teased him mercilessly. More of the reason to help Hajime get his feelings back quicker.

"No. Never, ever, ever, call me that again. Call me by my first name."

"Okay... Hajime."

The word sounded foreign on Ko's tongue. Why was Hajime treating Ko like a friend? Trash like him shouldn't even be given the honor of speaking the brunet's name.

He continued to stare at Hajime, who was now throwing spices and vegetables into the cart.

Hajime noticed the albino staring at his back.

"Is there a problem?" He tilted his head in confusion.

"No, no, nothing. Continue to do what you were doing." Ko said.

Hajime stared at the albino for a moment, then shrugged it off.

They continued to roam around the supermarket, throwing necessities into the cart.

Hajime insisted that he push the cart, so Ko had no choice but to trail behind.

"Hey Ko?" Hajime asked.

"Mhm?"

"Can you get the bread?"

"Sure."

Ko sauntered out of the aisle and began to find his way to the bread section.

He checked the expiration date (something you should always do before you decide on which loaf to buy) before taking it back to Hajime.

As the albino began to enter the aisle in which he had left Hajime in before, he noticed that the brunet was staring at something on the shelf.

"Hajime? Is something wrong?" Ko asked in concern.

"No, nothing. Let's get to the cashier and wrap things up," Hajime walked out without a backward glance at Ko.

The albino stared at the place in which the brunet was looking at a few seconds ago.

He decided to purchase it.

* * *

"That was tiring." Hajime covered his mouth with his palm, stifling a yawn.

"I feel like falling asleep on the bed and not make dinner. That's probably a good idea...." He rubbed his eyes.

"Maybe this will change your mind?" Ko grinned slyly.

He presented a box tied with a pink ribbon to Hajime.

Ths brunet suddenly stopped in mid-yawn.

"What is it?" He asked curiously.

"Open it and see." Ko urged.

The brunet cautiously undid the ribbon and took off the red lid.

Inside were rows of wrapped sweets in various colors.

"Mochi? How did you know I liked them?"  
Ko tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Oh, I totally didn't see you staring at them in the supermarket."

He grabbed a green mochi, ripping open the plastic around the sweet.

"Say 'ah'," Ko cooed.

"Wha-?"

The albino shoved the sweet into the brunet's mouth, silencing his words.

"Do you like it?"

Hajime's eyes widened.

"This is so good! I've never tasted anything so tasty before! Thank you so much, Ko!"  
Hajime smiled.

He _smiles_.

"You smiled!!" Ko grinned like a manic. "Your emotions are coming back!"

Hajime touched the corners of his mouth gingerly. He indeed was smiling.

Ko found his smile comforting. Reassuring even.

His heart pounded within his chest, rapidly getting faster as the brunet continued to eat the delicacies the albino had bought him.

But what made his heart beat so fast was Hajime's smile. It was like a light that shined through Ko's darkness and caused it to disperse, leaving a warm essence behind.   
Ko wanted to cherish it forever, close to his heart. He wanted to protect it.

That's why he would gladly lay down his life for the boy who had shown him the power of hope.

* * *

The brunet wiped off the dust from the piano that was located in a room that he had never seen before in Ko's house.

He had woken up earlier than Ko and made himself breakfast (and helped himself to a couple of mochi). He let the albino sleep in since he was still recovering from the knife wound.

Talking about wounds, Hajime's injuries were healing up, leaving some scars. He touched the lid of the piano gingerly, his fingertips collecting the dust that sat there. The grand piano had been placed inside a small, cramped room just down the hallway. Hajime had never noticed this room until he decided to explore the house.

The room smelled of dust and old age, causing Hajime to cough when he first walked into it.

Man, this is going to take a long time to clean. The brunet huffed.

Using a mop and wet wipes, he cleaned off all the dust particles that clung to the curtains and the piano.

They scattered all across the room as Hajime flung open the curtains, letting the dust particles fly off the material.

He didn't quite understand why Ko needed curtains. They were in a sewer for goodness sake. It was going to be dark outside, so why curtains?

Hmmm.

The brunet continued to clean the place, leading an army of Kleenex wipes and Freebreez air fresheners against the miserable and throat clogging dust particles that littered the whole room.

* * *

"Ah. Finally finished." He whispered to himself.

The room was completely spotless, for he had cleaned every nook and cranny.  
His gaze landed upon the smooth black surface of the piano.

Ko did mention that he could play the piano. Hajime wondered how it would sound like if he tried playing it.

He lifted the lid covering the keyboard, propping it up against the smooth surface behind it.

A row of various black and white keys met his gaze. Great. No color markings to differentiate the keys from one another. Why did it have to be black and white? The piano was black already. White just made it an eyesore.

The brunet pressed a key with his index finger.

A note drifted out from the stomach of the piano, bouncing off the walls.

Hajime sat down on the black (yet again) bench and skimmed his fingers across the piano.

He pressed the highest key, the one to his right-hand side. A high pitched note followed the action. To the opposite side, his left, a deep and low note sounded.

So it was low to high, huh.

His ruby red eyes drifted to his feet.

_Eh? What were these golden things that poked out of the piano?_

He stepped on one, but there was no reaction.

What if I press the golden thing while playing a key?

His foot tapped against the left most golden step while he pressed a note on the piano.

The music note sounded muffled.

He tried the middle one.

This time, the note was slightly louder.

Third one.

The note hummed against the air, amplifying its sound.

Pianos are funny.

"Hajime? What are you doing?" A melodic voice spoke out of thin air.

Hajime almost jumped out of his seat.

"And for goodness sake, turn on the lights."

There was a button for the lights?

A blob of white reached behind a shelf and flicked the switches on.

Lights came from above, enveloping the room in a yellow hue.

"Oh, it looks like you've found my piano." Ko smiled fondly.

"Uh... yeah. Sorry for intruding into the room." Hajime apologized.

"There's nothing to be sorry for. It's about time I actually acknowledged it." Ko laughed.

Hajime began poking at random notes on the keyboard, still confused on how to properly play it.

"Hajime?"

"Yeah?"

"You want me to teach you how to play the piano?" Ko asked.

Hajime froze.

No one had ever asked to teach him anything, besides school-related things. Everything he learned, cooking, cleaning, first aid, he had learned by himself. Ko's offer had come unexpectedly.

"If you don't mind."

Hajime scooted over for the albino to sit next to him.

"So you see here," Ko pressed a key near the middle of the piano, "This is middle C."  
He pressed the same key but in a lower place. "Low C."

He pressed another key higher up the keyboard.

"High C."

"They're called octaves. Each octave is eight keys spaced in between. You got me?"

Hajime nodded.

"The keys on the piano are, A, B, C, D, E, F, G." He pressed the white keys using his five fingers.

"Guess what the next key is." Ko prompted.

"Uuuhhhh... H????"

Ko doubled over in laughter.

"What? Did I do something wrong???" Hajime panicked.

"N-no!" Ko clutched his stomach in laughter, "It's A again! Not H!" He wheezed.

"Oh, my bad." Hajime sheepishly replied.

"It's all right." Ko regained his posture, clearing his throat.

"Anyways, it's all A, B, C, D, E, F, G for now."

"For now?" Hajime questioned.

"There are more advanced keys, but we'll just start with the simple ones. The white ones."

The brunet nodded in understanding.

"When you read notes on a music sheet," Ko fumbled for several papers, "there are a few things you need to know.

The albino placed several papers on top of the shelf located beneath the lid.

"The numbers are called time signatures, which indicates your tempo or speed. The signs on the left are called Treble Clef and Bass Clef. Bass Clef is the lower part of the piano, and Treble is the top. For treble notes, you count in between lines as F.A.C.E. The notes on the lines are E, G, B, D, and F. Bass clef notes are A.C.E.G, and the notes in between are B, D, F, A." He introduced.

"The squiggly things in the middle of notes are rests, which means you have to pause for a moment before you play. The circular notes without lines sticking from the top or bottom are called whole notes, which are four beats. Empty notes are two beats. Filled in ones is one beat. Empty notes with a dot next to them are three beats. Now that you know this, would you like to play a song?" Ko asked.

"E-eh? So fast?" Hajime was taken off guard. 

Ko grinned. "I believe that you can do it!"

"Let's start with a simple song. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Follow my fingers."

His thumb pressed on a white key.

Hajime followed suit an octave lower. Ko pressed two times on the key. Then using his pinkie, he pressed a higher note. Hajime struggled to find it.

"Here." Ko assisted him.

The albino took the brunet's hand and placed his pinkie on the same note. Then he guided Hajime's fingers towards the right keys, playing the song for him.

Ko's face suddenly flushed in embarrassment when he realized what he had done.

"I-I'm sorry for taking your hand all of a sudden!" The albino snapped back his hand.

Hajime already missed the feeling. His skin was so soft and warm, and he craved for it again.

Ko continued to ramble on.

"Trash like me shouldn't be holding your hand! I'm just a lowly servan- Hmph!"

Hajime shoved a mochi into Ko's mouth. He had known this would come soon enough, so he prepared a sweet for it.

Hajime's eyes went cold.

"I told you never to call yourself trash again." He growled at the albino.

Suddenly, Ko grabbed Hajime's green tie and pulled the brunet towards him, catching Hajime off guard.

"Wha-?"

He was cut off as a warm pair of lips latched onto his own. His eyes widened whereas Ko's were closed.

Something sweet slipped onto his tongue. It was the mochi Hajime had shoved into Ko's mouth to stop his blabbering.

The brunet's heart rate increased rapidly as the kiss lingered for a few more seconds before Ko released his lips.

Hajime wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"What was that for?" He demanded.

"It was my third gift. Did you like it?" Hajime's face remained blank.

Ko's smile grew larger.

"I felt bad for eating something that I bought for you, so I decided to share it with you!" He chuckled.

Something clicked within his heart as Ko smiled.

A flood of heat rushed to his face, and he could no longer talk properly.

Ko just loved teasing him, didn't he?

"It looks like your feeling of embarrassment has come back," Ko grinned.

His grin turned into a sly one.

Hajime gulped. This can't be good.

"There's something on the corner of your lips..." The albino leaned forward and licked the corner of Hajime's mouth.

Steam poured out of the brunet's ears as the red tint in his cheeks became ten times worse.

"Sweet." Ko licked his lips.

"K-KO!"

The light above the two boys flickered and went out right after Hajime's outburst, leaving the room in pitch-black darkness.

"What just happened?" Hajime asked.

"Maybe the light in this room burned out. It is old after all." Ko shrugged.

"We should see if there are any spare light bulbs." Hajime stood up, feeling his way to the door.

"Alright then."

As they walked out the door, the hallway was also enveloped in a blanket of black.

That's weird, those light bulbs were new...  
Ko frowned.

"It's pitch dark in here. My best guess is that it's a blackout," Hajime flipped the light switches, but there were no lights.

Ko fumbled inside his coat pocket.

"Wait a second, I think I have a flashlight in here." He pulled out the long metallic device and turned it on. A ray of golden light burst from the front of the device.

"I'm going to check outside. Come on." He beckoned Hajime.

* * *

The pair climbed up the ladder towards the surface, Ko holding the flashlight between his teeth.

The bright rays of sun shone upon his hair, drenching him in warmth.

Ko helped Hajime out of the sewer and glanced around the neighborhood.

"It's hard to actually know if there's a blackout since it's early in the morning." He pointed out.

Hajime looked a bit disappointed, but that was probably just him. Ko missed the days when he could feel the brunet's emotions that would easily be exposed to his mind. But now, since Hajime had lost most of his optimistic features, Ko hadn't been able to feel anything inside Hajime's heart.

Ko's chest almost burst with happiness when he had managed to make Hajime blush. Oh, how he loved the hope that was resting within the brunet.

Ko sighed.

"I guess we have to spend the day outside since we clearly can't see anything in the house.." Ko looked towards Hajime.

"That's fine with me." Hajime shrugged.

"Ah, such bad luck." Ko frowned.

"Where do you want to go now?" Hajime asked Ko with his hands in his pockets.

"Hmmmm.." Ko tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"How about the park?"

"The park?"

"Yeah! It's a cute place!" He grinned at Hajime.

Hajime looked at the albino with bored eyes.

That hurt Ko's heart. His smile faded.

"We can go somewhere else if you don't want to." Ko looked at the ground.

"No, no, no. The park's fine with me."

Ko's head snapped up.

"Really?"

Hajime nodded.

The albino hugged the brunet.

"Wha-what are you doing?" Hajime stuttered, clearly embarrassed, but refused to show it.

Ko smirked. He loved his luck.

He slammed a hand on the wall behind Hajime, surprising the brunet.

His signature move. The Kabedon. He'd always wanted to use it on someone ever since he read about it in a manga.

Hajime's eyes suddenly turned hard. 

"Huh? What's wrong?" Ko tilted his head.

"There's someone on the building..." He whispered.

Ko pushed Hajime behind him, fearing that it would be some kind of assassin.

But it wasn't. It was the silhouette of someone who was about to take their own life.

Hajime ran out from behind Ko, sprinting towards the building.

Ko followed suit since he had to stay close to the brunet. Why was Hajime so sensitive about suicide? Ko always saw it, he even attempted to do it multiple times.

A pang of fear crossed through his chest. 

_Hajime!_

His legs moved even faster, screeching to a halt in front of the brunet.

He was hyperventilating.

"Ko... please... stop him..." He muttered.

The blood oath reacted to the order, causing Ko to quickly analyze the setting and the possibilities he could attempt to save the boy on the rooftop.

He thought about running up the stairway to reach the boy, but that would take too much time.

The silhouette above the two boys fell, falling to the ground at a high speed.

"CATCH HIM!!!" Hajime yelled.

Ko's arms snapped forward as his eyes never left the falling figure's body.

A heavy weight landed into Ko's arms, causing him to topple backward.

A boy in a black and white hoodie was on top of Ko, his eyes squeezed shut.

"H-huh?" He whispered to himself.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no." He rocked back and forth.

"You tried to commit suicide," Hajime sternly said.

The boy's eyes coated with tears when he stared up at the brunet with an angry expression on his face.

He lunged towards Hajime.

"WHY DID YOU STOP ME?! IF I DIED, EVERYTHING COULD HAVE BEEN OVER!!" He growled.

Ko restrained the boy from tackling Hajime. Hajime's red eyes glinted in the sunlight.

"Why did you decide to take your own life?"

"BECAUSE MY LIFE IS DEPRESSING! THE ONLY COMFORT IS DEATH!"

Ko's heart filled with pity for the young man. He had felt this type of hopelessness before.

Hajime didn't give an ounce of sympathy for the struggling black-haired boy.

"Life is a precious thing. It would be a shame if you wasted it." Hajime sighed.

"S-SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!"

Hajime grabbed the boy by his collar.

"Life is a privilege. Learn to live it to the fullest because it'd be a shame if you died without living."

The boy went motionless.

"W-What?"

"There may be a few bumps in life, but eventually there will be happiness awaiting you. It's just not the right time yet." Hajime smiled softly at the teenage boy.

Ko's heartbeat increased rapidly. It made him so overjoyed to see someone giving hope to other people around them in times of despair.

Hajime sure was a one of a kind.

Ko was glad that he had met this shining symbol of hope in his life.

Eventually, things calmed down, and the boy introduced himself as Panda.

Not much irony there with his hoodie.

"Thank you. You have my gratitude." He thanked Hajime.

The black-haired boy left the pair, leaving them to their thoughts.

"I never knew you cared so much about life," Ko chuckled.

"So what about it?"

"It's cute~" Ko winked at the brunet.  
A flood of embarrassment rushed through Ko's chest.

"I felt that."

"S-SHUT UP!!"

* * *

It was three in the afternoon when Ko and Hajime arrived at the park. It was mostly empty, besides the few children that were running around.

"Why do you like parks so much?" Hajime asked out of the blue.

"Nothing... It just reminds me of someone."

Someone who's gone from this world.

A tinge of jealousy flickered inside Ko's chest.

He laughed, surprising the brunet.

"There's nothing to be jealous about," He chuckled at Hajime's blush.

"After all, my heart is yours both physically and mentally~" He purred, teasing the poor brunet like he always did.

"What do you mean 'mentally'?"

Shi-

A wind picked up, blowing through the trees, and leading two pieces of paper towards Ko's face, saving him from explaining any further.

"Gah!"

Hajime helped Ko rip off the paper on his face.

"Geez... my luck is so bad.." He scratched the back of his head.

"It's not so bad. You just got us two tickets to a carnival." Hajime pointed at the papers.

"What? Really?"

Hajime nodded his head.

"That means I get to spend more time with you!!" Ko sighed in a fake lovesick way.

"Stop your horrible flirting, whether it be fake or not."

"Awww~ Is Haji-kun embarrassed?"

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ack i hate this, might anon later


End file.
